Experiment

My kids are like every other kid in the free world.  They have tablets, cell phones, computers.  They never seem to make true eye contact.  I get a lot of mumbled replies to questions, and I see a lot of the tops of their heads.  It's frustrating.

Last school year they would get lost while doing homework.  By lost, I mean that something that should take half an hour would take two or more hours to complete.  Turned out they were playing online.  Go figure.  This year I decided that would change.

School started this past Monday.  As my kids are all junior high and high school, they all have homework.  On Sunday they had to hand me all of the technology.  All of it.  The very helpful part was that neither school (junior high and high schools) allow cells use during school hours.  They have to be turned off and put away.  The junior high even added 3 new phones to the hallways in case kids needed to call home after school or practice.  They don't need the technology for math - they all are required to have actual calculators. 

This has probably been one of the best things I've ever done.  Well, so far, anyway.  The homework is actually getting finished.  I think the longest amount of time has been an hour, and that was because the high schooler didn't do her summer reading, so she had to finish a book.  All work is actually finished and turn in ready, which is a miracle all in itself.  They are required, by me, to keep a planner, and show me said planner on the daily.  I've had meaningful conversation with my kids.  There is joking, laughter, and kept bedtimes.  No looking at things until the wee hours.  It's amazing.

I will allow them to have some time Saturday to play on the technology if they want to catch up with friends or whatever.  My hope is that they won't be on it for long because it either doesn't hold their interest, or it hurts their eyes-head-neck.  I'm doubting that, but you never know.  The stuff will come back to me Sunday, and we will start over again.  I would really like for them to start interacting with their world in a positive way.  With luck, maybe they can spread that to their friends.  I grew up without this stuff, and enjoyed myself creatively outside of my inner bubble.  Maybe that's part of the issue with people these days.  I don't know, but it's worth the effort to try.

Did I mention that this has been one of the most seamless transitions back to school?  It's scary, really.

Have a great one!