You see, he had gone into my bedroom — without asking permmission — looking for a charging cord. Instead of asking for help, he decided to unplug my iPhone cord and take it to his room to see if it would work.
It didn't. And he never bothered to return it.
So when he was informed that he would not have his Kindle for a while, he lost his ever-lovin' mind. Bless his heart.
Keep in mind, he had just gotten his Kindle back after a two-month break. He'd had it back for less than a day. We tell our kids frequently that we are very concerned about how important electronics are to them. If you are willing to lie, cheat, or steal — or go into Mommy's room without asking and take a charging cord —for something electronic, then that thing plays too large a role in your life.
"You have a Kindle you can use and charge whenever you want!"
"You have a computer and an iPad and an iPhone!"
"You use electronics whenever you want, and you don't have to ask anyone!"
"When you make a mistake no one takes your Kindle away!"
It's true. As an adult, no one takes my Kindle away when I make a mistake. An yes, I work from home on my computer so the kids see me using it a lot. But why does Jordan think that electronics are so important to me?
That got me thinking ... how much of my life have I turned over to a gadget? How much of my time do I spend interacting with a thing with a hard drive instead of a person with a soul? Or even a pad of paper and a pen?
I am typing this on an iPad.
Don't judge me.
So I made a list of the parts of my life that I have digitized. Here they are, in no particular order:
- Books (about 50% on Kindle)
- Grocery list (use an app)
- Calendar (use an app)
- Work (uses multiple apps or programs on multiple devices)
- Music and radio (use multiple apps)
- Email (duh)
- Texting (double duh)
- To Do List (use an app)
- Taking notes at church (use a notes app AND a Bible app)
- Bible study/devotional (sometimes use an app)
- Cooking (half of my recipes probably come from apps or websites)
- Movies (frequently stream)
- Baseball (app to watch or listen to games)
- Even our TV is hooked up to a computer.
And this is just what I could come up with in the waiting room at the orthodontist's office.
Oh. My. Gosh.
No wonder my kids see me as always plugged in. I am! Even when I'm doing something supposedly electronics-free ... like cooking dinner ... I frequently have my work computer or iPad sitting on the kitchen counter because I'm in the middle of a conversation with someone about something. Or I'm streaming music. Or watching a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond. (I love Raymond.)
I sit with an iPad on my lap at church for goodness' sake! And this is right after telling my 16yo to put his phone away because we're in church.
OK, kids. I get it.
Next up ... what to do about it?
But can I get a little credit?
I made my list on paper.
With a pen.
Baby steps, y'all.
Ciao!
DDD
A lot of the things you list as doing with an electronic device are "chores" or work. Also things like reading. Or listening to music while cooking. It doesn't really matter what medium you choose. Are you going to use CDs for music? Or do you think you should go back to cassettes or 8-tracks?
ReplyDeleteIn reality, there are good things about electronics. They make our every day lives easier. They cut down on waste paper (though I still prefer a planner and pencil to my Google calendar app). They are often more portable.
The real issue here is that you are attempting to teach your boys responsibility and respect for others' property and that oh so basic life lesson...to follow rules. You don't have the same rules to follow because you are an adult and you have already been through this period in your life. Mom and Dad may not have taken away your Kindle because who the hell had heard of a Kindle at the time? But they did take away tv, cassettes, radios, books, privileges, free time, and other important stuff.
Don't sweat it when they they pull the "you don't have to follow the same rules we do" stuff. No, you don't. And when they are an adults, neither will they. (Unless we're talking about against the law, moral code, etc., things.) When they complain, smile and remind them that you are the parent not the friend and don't feel guilty.
Now... Turn on your iPad to your favorite music, set your DVR to record your favorite show, check out your grocery list and schedule in your grocery and calendar apps, then boot up your Kindle and enjoy whatever book you're currently reading. Oh, and smile while you're doing it... :)