Do you have different media "rules" in the summer?

[karne]

This question is for those of you whose life includes the use of media, ie television, videos, computer time. I'm not really looking for any one to tell me to be media free, thanks. Our background: two kids, almost 7 and 10. we were totally media free for many years, but our life now includes some limited tv time (usually public television kids programming, travel shows, cooking shows), some computer time (Starfall, etc.) and videos-we're into Castle in the Sky, and that genre. I'm not super controlling about it, but more so than many I know.

So, I wondering, with summer coming up, what do you all do in terms of your kids' media access? Do your kids watch more tv, videos or use the computer more? Do you have rules about it, or allow your kids to self regulate? Do you have any suggestions for what seems to work well for your family? I'd love to hear! We're still finding our way to a comfortable place/balance.

[Alyantavid]

Well we're normally outside more in the summer anyways. This year, we're definitely more lax about it since they spend so much time outside. I don't mind them cooling off in front of the tv for awhile.

[Storm Bride]

Our rules tend to be pretty fluid. This summer, at least until about the end of July, will probably be more media-intensive than our ideal. I'm 36 weeks pregnant, and will be having a c-section on June 26th. I know it will take me several weeks to recover. I just don't have much energy, and what energy I do have is going to getting this pit decluttered a bit. So...I let dd and ds2 watch more movies than I usually would. DD is school-age, but is homelearning. DS2 isn't quite four. They don't do any computer stuff.

DS1? It's more complicated with him. He stays up later than we do, and I'm not interested in giving him rules about what he can and can't do when I'm asleep, yk? Besides, he's 16, and I figure he needs to self-regulate to some extent. We don't have strict time limits on his screen time (mostly Facebook with friends or playing his Wii). It's more of a "is your homework done? Chores finished?" kind of thing. Plus, we only have one TV, in the living room, so if the family is watching a movie, he can't play a videogame. I honestly don't worry about it too much, because he's into doing so many other things, too. If he's playing his Wii, and a buddy comes by and says "want to throw a Frisbee/practice gymnastics at the playground", he puts down his controllers and goes out. As long as the games/screens aren't interfering with the rest of his life, I'm pretty laidback. This summer, he needs to get a job. He also has a girlfriend. He has a lot of friends. He wants to take some acting classes at a local academy. He tries to do drop-in gymnastics 2-3 times a month. I'm not really concerned about him OD'ing on the videogames, yk?

[zinemama]

We let the kids earn screen time that they can use on weekends and we have a Sunday movie night. All that will stay the same in the summer.

[octobermom]

I'm really relaxed with TV media (time not content) I don't set limits unless I see the need my DD loves to play outside with friends she'd rather be building something or reading or off with her friends anyways so if she wants computer time or TV I just don't really worry about it. Our summers are VERY hot though (120s) so we do spend more time indoors than out (out in in shorter spurts) and of course more time at home means more TV but overall I just don't worry.

Deanna

[karne]

Originally Posted by zinemama

We let the kids earn screen time that they can use on weekends and we have a Sunday movie night. All that will stay the same in the summer.

If you don't mind my asking, how do your kids earn screen time? It's something I've thought about for the summer. Now we don't have screen time at all during the school week (well, for the most part), and we also do a family movie night.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by octobermom

Our summers are VERY hot though (120s)...

Okay - I think I just passed out reading that. My kids could do whatever they wanted if it were that hot here. I'd be soaking in a cool tub. It was just over 90 this morning, and I feel awful.

[jjawm]

Yeah, definately more relaxed about it. They sleep in later, stay up later, so everything is thrown off. They also help out around the house more and it's easy for me to say sure, play more computer games, or let's watch something together.

[Amber Lion]

It's interesting to see that some of you get more lax during the summer. My parents got more strict during the summer with our screen time! We were allowed an hour a day. I remember distinctly planning out that hour and relishing it, usually late in the day. During the school year it was more of a "is your homework done? chores done?" thing.

[annethcz]

As for computer time, my kids will probably spend more time playing computer games during the summer, simply because they have more leisure time.

Not sure about TV and video games. We don't watch much TV in general. Video games tend to be more of a problem.

[zinemama]

Originally Posted by karne

If you don't mind my asking, how do your kids earn screen time? It's something I've thought about for the summer. Now we don't have screen time at all during the school week (well, for the most part), and we also do a family movie night.

We do it with marbles. I will give you a link to the blog post of the woman I got the idea from, but in a nutshell, here it is:

Each kid has a list of four things he needs to do every day. These are by no means all of the things we expect of them, but they're the ones we found ourselves nagging and nagging over.

Kid #1
-make bed before school
- get dressed and downstairs by 7:30
- start homework Mon thru Fri by 4:40
- follow requests without arguing

Kid #2
- fold and put away clothes at night
- put away coat and backpack on coming home
- make bed before school
- allow us to apply sunscreen without screaming

Every day, doing each of these things earns the kid one marble. (They each have a jar with their name). Each marble is worth 10 minutes of screen time. For us screen time consists of mild games (Marble Madness, etc.) and old cartoons on Hulu.com (they love Speed Racer and Fat Albert).

The Sunday movie isn't connected to the marbles - that's more just something we do.

Since some of the things are connected to school, we will come up with others for the summer.

My friend Marta wrote very eloquently about how she came - reluctantly - to the marble jar thing here (scroll down to Friday April 3):

http://mygoodlyheritage.blogspot.com...&max-results=7

[sewchris2642]

Usually more TV/computer time. But that's more weather related than just because it's summer. It's often too hot to go outside or the air quality can be very bad.

[K-Mom3]

Early wakings

My 4 yr old son becomes an early riser in the summer. Lately, he often wakes at 6:30 and can't go back to sleep because it is so light. So to keep him from waking the whole house (he has trouble leaving me alone!) I let him get up and turn on a movie almost every day. And then I sometimes let him have computer time later in the day, too. So yeah, he gets more screen time but it is mostly to grab myself a little more sleep!

[mamalisa]

Since my ds has very little time to watch tv during the school year, I totally relax it for the summer. As long as he's done his reading, practiced guitar and his chores are done, he can do whatever he likes. But really, we're outside and gone so much it doesnt' really change much.

[sewchris2642]

Originally Posted by octobermom

I'm really relaxed with TV media (time not content) I don't set limits unless I see the need my DD loves to play outside with friends she'd rather be building something or reading or off with her friends anyways so if she wants computer time or TV I just don't really worry about it. Our summers are VERY hot though (120s) so we do spend more time indoors than out (out in in shorter spurts) and of course more time at home means more TV but overall I just don't worry.

Deanna

Yeah, but it's a dry heat. :

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

We're mostly a self-regulating sort of media family in general. This year we did start requiring that kids completed homework, free reading assignment and music practice before turning on the TV/computer in the afternoons.

Over the summer the kids actually spend less time at home because daycamp goes longer than school and they like to swim when they get home. They may get some time in the mornings though since camp also starts later than school.

For the most part, our family is pretty busy and committed to activities, so when we are home ALL of us frequently find that relaxing in front of the TV is about all we are capable of, so I don't worry about it all that much.

[Jessy1019]

Our kids self-regulate anyway . . . but they probably watch less in the summer since they are outside (or we're on outings) almost all the time.

I'm sure we'll go to the movies once a week or so, but other than that, they probably won't watch much tv since they'll be outside until late every nice night.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by K-Mom3

My 4 yr old son becomes an early riser in the summer. Lately, he often wakes at 6:30 and can't go back to sleep because it is so light. So to keep him from waking the whole house (he has trouble leaving me alone!) I let him get up and turn on a movie almost every day. And then I sometimes let him have computer time later in the day, too. So yeah, he gets more screen time but it is mostly to grab myself a little more sleep!

We have the same thing happening here. I don't put a movie on for him, simply because if I do that, I'm up, anyway. No matter how tired I am, I find it hard to go back to sleep once I'm up.

As I type, the kids are watching a movie. Well, dd is mostly colouring, but occasionally watching the movie. DS2 is hard, because he really doesn't play independently much. He likes to throw things, break things, hit people who aren't playing with him, etc...but he'll only play independently for very short periods of time (eg. 5 minutes or less)...and that usually involves making a HUGE mess of some kind.

[mirlee]

No changes really in the media hours. We actually watch much less than other times because we are super busy in the summer.

[octobermom]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

Okay - I think I just passed out reading that. My kids could do whatever they wanted if it were that hot here. I'd be soaking in a cool tub. It was just over 90 this morning, and I feel awful.

We are actually having a BEAUTIFUL week highs between 88-98 all week we have been all over town taking advantage of the weird cool weather.

Deanna