by admin on September 1, 2010
Hi, my name is Vanessa and if I don’t watch myself I become addicted to technology very easily and my family suffers.
It is like this CONSTANT battle with me. Often, it ends up in unplugging for a week at a time and once a month.
When I am online too much…that means with work or blogging or facebook or wasting time surfing or hurrying to meet deadlines…it doesn’t make me feel good. I get snippy and withdrawn and tired and…….blahish.
Wait, did that description sound like a teenager? Oh my goodness, did I just say that phrase that I LIVIDLY hated when I was younger?
Yes I just did. And its not true because all ages can get sucked in. Even young mothers.
You know when I feel really good? When I have very clear limitations that I…80% of the time keep…about when and how much I can be online. What feels good is talking to people face to face; playdates, lunches with friends, checking on a neighbor, going to an activity. What feels good is lots of time spent outside with the girls hiking or reading or field trips. What feels good is date nights and sitting next to my husband late at night both reading books. What feels good is friends who still use the PHONE who I can chat with to feel connected.
I feel like it’s ok if, in my down time instead of watching TV or reading a book, I can look at pictures or read blog posts! People sometimes even snicker when I tell them what I do for a living, but it’s what I do and it requires a certain amount of time online.
Clear limitations, rules for myself and sometimes just unplugging technology is what works for me!
It’s not just the kids or teenagers that have become addicted to technology. Sometimes its the parents as well. And guess what? Those darn kids always learn by example.
by admin on August 31, 2010
I just recently started texting. I always thought it was just another distraction and a bother and wasn’t for me. But I have to admit that it is so convenient and I thoroughly enjoy it. When I just want to share a short little something or maybe just ask a quick question to my sister or friend I just text them. It saves me time actually not having to make those sometimes long phone calls to get an answer to one question.
Now, I see it as being a benefit and something positive for my life, but I am also not a teenager that feels the need to text all my friends every day and all day. I simply have a handful of people I text only from time to time. Do I think that some teenagers are completely out of control sometimes? Absolutely I do! So if we allow our children to have these fun gadgets– ipods, cell phones, facebook, etc., we need to make sure there are rules for them to follow, so they don’t get out of hand. Rules that help them to continue being courteous to others, but also rules that help them to keep balance in their lives.
There are rules that are simply encouraging common courtesy. Should we be texting while having a conversation with someone? Should we bring these gadgets to the dinner table? To church? A while ago I picked up a young woman to have her come babysit my children for the evening. And as we were driving to my house and I was “attempting” to have a conversation with her, she just continued on texting. It really bothered me. It got me thinking and so I started to watch and notice how often teenagers are texting away and not being mindful or courteous of others. Not all of our calls or text messages need to be answered right away. A response can usually wait a little while. But if it is one that needs to be answered right away, we need to politely and kindly excuse ourselves momentarily.
There are also rules that will help kids learn how to balance these fun tools of technology with what is most important. I don’t have kids with ipods or cell phones yet, but that day is drawing closer and closer. But just like the computer or X-Box games that our kids like to play right now, there has to be rules and limitations. We have family time on Monday nights and we have a lot of family time on Sundays. It’s important to us that we eat dinner together as a family. These times are so important for us to really connect and converse with our children, to be good listeners, to ask questions and to understand what is going on in their lives. But if we let them do whatever they wanted to all the time, how many of our children would seek us out and tell us what’s been going on in their lives? If we allowed our children to have free reign over when they use these fun gadgets, would we have these opportunities to reconnect with them? It is vital that we set rules in our home and with our children so that these tools of technology can be used appropriately. There is a proper time and place for all of these to be used for communication and for really great fun, but we need to always remember and me mindful of what is truly most important to us…..our families.
