Today’s Guest Post is brought to you by Kasey at These Five of Mine Plus Two. Please take a moment to welcome her and check out her blog as well! She’s a sweetie!
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Electronic media has become a huge part of everyday life. For better or worse, most of us have been sucked in. Online billing and banking, email correspondence, social networking, blogging…there are many reasons why we, as adults, utilize the web. But how about our children? What are the parameters and where are the limits?
In our family, we do allow the use of certain electronic gadgets. But those privileges come with boundaries. And they are earned! Here are a few of the guidelines we follow to prevent being consumed by this media-crazed era we live in:
- All electronic usage time is “purchased” through reading. Our children are required to do 30 minutes of reading before they can start logging their time. The reading material is up to them, as long as it falls under what is considered acceptable in our home.
- Each weekday is designated for a certain type of electronic. For instance, Monday’s are Computer Day, while Thursday’s are for DVD’s. This keeps anybody from getting too wrapped up in a certain electronic source.
- All chores and schoolwork must be completed to parental satisfaction before time can be cashed in. My older boys have laptops for their schooling, but they stay downstairs on a shelf at all times that permission hasn’t been granted for them to be in use. This helps us stay on top of who is doing what and it also relieves the unnecessary temptation that arises when a child has a computer in his/her room at night.
- We have an internet guardian on each computer as well as a program which records every key stroke. A quick peek at the history recorded there clues us in to anything they may have typed into a search browser. We not only want to protect their eyes from the forbidden, but we want to be aware of what they are attempting to get access to. Our kids don’t even know we have this program loaded, and we have never had an issue with what we have found. But evil lurks around every corner waiting to bait our children and we want to be there for them if it happens!
- Each child must set a timer when they have been given permission to use their earnings. And when they have used the allotted time, they are required to log it in the book. I keep a pretty close eye on what is happening, but with a houseful of kids, it helps to have a written record. And it keeps them accountable since it isn’t too difficult to determine how accurate and honest they are being since I am right here!
Do you allow your children access to electronics. If so, what steps do you take to keep them from taking over?
Kasey says
You are certainly not alone!!
Kasey says
We use Spector Pro. My father-in-law works with computers for a living and he installed it on our computers for us. Not sure how much it costs to purchase, but we love it!
Kasey says
We don't have television except for during football season. And then we only allow for certain games to be recorded and watched (so we can fast-forward those crazy commercials) or stuff like the History channel. I can totally relate to looking for something to buy me a little time to get something done. I remember my days of having all little ones and it is HARD! You're doing great, Gail!
Kasey says
We let them exchange equal time reading for electronic use, up to 90 minutes. But the first 30 minutes the read is required for the day and is not redeemable. We now often have kiddos read 90 minutes, but they RARELY try to cash in that much. Putting controls on it seems to help steer their interest in other directions.
M-DVD
T-Computer
W-DVD
Th-Wii
F-Computer
That is our schedule. There are certain things that we allow them to access online, like some sites with educational games or Bible trivia, but we don't give them free reign. I hope you find what works for you!! 🙂
Kasey says
Thanks, Tanya! 🙂
Tamara says
Great ideas! This is probably the area that stumps my husband and I the most with raising our little electronic loving guys!
Gail says
These are some great ideas Kasey!
Our oldest is a 'movie watcher.' We don't have cable or anything, so the tv doesn't work. She also enjoys the computer (We let her watch Veggie Tales, Super Why, and other selected items.) She certainly doesn't have free reign. I find my problem is, when I need to get something done, or have something that I WANT TO DO, it's too easy to just pop in a movie, or let her sit on the computer. I'm working on it 😉 I think I'm definitely going to implement some of these ideas! 🙂