Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Technology Overload

I love technology. I love that I can talk to all my mommy friends from around the world via my computer. I love that family and friends can talk to us through video chat. I love my iPhone. I love my Wii and instant watch on my big TV. I can keep in contact with everyone via Facebook. I love reading books on my Nook anywhere I go and not worrying about children pulling out my book mark or tearing pages.

I DO NOT however, love preschoolers throwing tantrums over wanting to play on my phone. I do not love children fighting over the tv "I WANT TO WATCH SCOOBY DOO" "NOOOOO... I WATCH THOMAS!!!".... I do not love my husband oblivious to the family because he is absorbed in his game of Civilization on his phone.

I have yet to figure out a balance with all this lovely technology. How much tv is too much when I really just want 30 minutes to myself or to be able to cook dinner or bake without kids screaming at me. When should I stop them from playing on the phones and interact with us. Should I buy that Thomas book for my nook for my son.

I think back on my childhood, I didn't get my first video game until I was in 7th grade, and even then it was only tetris for our computer. I didn't have cable, netflix, game consoles, first cell phone was a clunker when I went off to college. My kids are better at video games than I am and they are only 3.5 and nearly 2! Of course, I has about 1/5 of the toys my kids have too.

Right now my daughter is watching tv, my son is reading his books, and my husband is practicing. I am blogging. Should I turn off the computer and tv and be a more "attentive" mother? The guilt-o-meter rises by the minute every time I get on the computer. Yet I keep doing it. I wonder if every mother judges themselves like I do. Constantly wondering how my mother got by without all this, how she got the house clean, children happy, family fed, and kept her sense of self without the aide of a million gadgets.

How do you all keep control of the technology in your households? Do you give in like I do or keep it under lock and key, only to be used in extreme cases?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Give in! Welcome the technology as our new overlord. "We can't beat the machines, the best we can do is hope to integrate with them smoothly." ~ Michio Kaku, NYU Theoretical Physicist.

Kate said...

my kids would say "YESSSSS!" But I am running around screaming "NOOOOO!
" =)

Also having a bit of a Scooby Doo overload... I would really be ok if my Netflix stopped working today.

Shell said...

It's crazy how much it is a part of our children's lives compared to when we were kids.

I'm trying to keep somewhat of a balance...but it's hard. Right now, my kindergartener is staring at me b/c he wants on here to go play a game. I didn't even have a computer until college!