One side effect of OIT is too much electronics. Our doctor joked last week that this treatment took so long to come out because it was waiting on the technology of iPads to be invented. A quick look around the treatment room reveals kids playing Minecraft and Angry Birds, fixated on tiny screens.
Thirty minutes prior to their allergen dosing and for two hours after, it is considered rest time. Getting a 6-year-old to sit still for that amount of time is hard, but made much easier with the iPad, which is why I specifically bought him a 1st Gen resale device for $100. The problem is, his entire focus in his waking hours is getting on that damn iPad or Wii or TV. I have devised rules, like 20 minutes of educational games and then 20 minutes of Minecraft and then it gets shut off. Still, every two minutes he is requesting to watch TV or play his iPad.
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Can't even look up for a photo.
I'm tempted to remove all electronic devices from the house, but then, who am I kidding? I'm parenting alone right now and I need the quiet once in awhile. I also need a surefire way to keep him calm after dosing. For my own sanity, I cannot completely eliminate electronics, but I obviously need to set some parameters.
What do you do to regulate your child's screen time? Leave me a comment, I want to know.
We have a rule: iPad gets charged on Sunday night and when it does it is done for the week so use her time wisely.
ReplyDeleteI like that it helps her learn to manage her time wisely. Great input, thank you!
DeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteJacob did a lot of electronics when we were in clinic or at the hospital or traveling. I didn't sweat it as I knew he needed that as a distraction. At home when he wasn't feeling well he used the television and his DS as a distraction method too.
ReplyDeleteBut now I really try to limit screen time. The kids do not have any video games. They can not watch television until their school work is done. When they do watch a show in the afternoon (aka "mommy quiet time") I try to limit it to one show. Then in the evenings before bed they can veg out to the television. Basically, they have to "earn" the right to screen time and know that once they do it is limited.
That is kind of what happens here, Beth, but all the times in between I feel like it's being talked about! At this point, if someone says, "iPad" one more time, it's going off the balcony!
DeleteI started the charging rule when I thought I was about to throw 2-$500 iPads in the trash.
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