Ping Pong Parenting - Reducing Screen Time One Game at a Time.
We started our family games night with a fun treasure hunt. The hunt included a simple hand-drawn map numbered with 8 marked points. At these points, the evening snacks and treats were hidden. The girls set off with a basket to collect their treasures. Living in a small complex allowed them to venture a little further in search of the eight items. Their excitement in this simple activity was palpable and they set off with great enthusiasm. There were a few neighbours who glanced more than once upon entering the estate and spotting a random packet of chips in the tree! There was also the huge smile and helpful point of a cyclist returning home to direct the misguided hunters to the chocolate in the flower garden! Basket full they returned as if from a mighty adventure. (Our games night could have simply ended here, their fun tank was full already!)
We opted for three games that evening, Hide and Seek, (anytime you give a child a torch during evening play you will be the coolest parent in town) Pin the Tail on the Donkey and the Ping-Pong muffin tin challenge.
Our hide-and-seek game was slightly different. The girls waited in their room and I hid their fluffy toys all over. (Note to self, remember how many toys you hide as a random fluffy toy will attack you out of the Tupperware cupboard later in the week!) Armed with torches they set off to rescue their fluffy friends. We played this game multiple times.
We then moved on to Pin the tail on the donkey. An oldie but a goodie, as they say!
Our donkey was drawn onto a piece of recycled paper; (I am no Van Gogh but children view our efforts with delicious humour and acceptance as they have a greater gift than an amazing drawing, our time and attention! The girls coloured him in and we made a tail from some spare wool. Blindfolded we each had multiple turns to be spun around and stick the tail on the donkey. The game went on much longer than I thought it would and our funny donkey was the cause of so much laughter.
Finally, we played the ultimate round of Ping-Pong muffin tray. I popped numbers into the muffin tray and placed it on our table. Each “competitor” (we had now become serious in our game playing) had an opportunity to bounce 3 ping pong balls into the tray and score the relevant points. We did so many rounds that our scores were in the hundreds!
Our snack table and dinner were buffet style and “team members” could serve themselves as and when needed. Every athlete needs sustenance and our family was no different, it’s amazing how much energy you expend bouncing a ping pong ball!
Our usual Friday night movie night had been reduced to a screen-free evening and was really fun! The success came when my daughters asked if we could do it again and maybe miss movie night the next weekend also!!
In our home, we are “in” a mission (it’s an ongoing process) to reduce screen use, as much as possible, for as long as possible, for the children and the adults.
Focusing on creating deeper connections, family memories and healthy habits started with initially removing screen use in the week. Over time this reduction became less challenging and stressful due to the immense benefits to individuals and the happiness factor of the family as a whole that zero screen in the week brought into our home! Now if I am going to allow it I will carefully weigh up if I have the capacity for the after-effects and can honestly hold the space for the tsunami of fall-out emotion when “it” stops.
Initially, the desire to entertain your “bored” kids will leave you feeling as if you are being swiped left and right, spending onerous amounts on crafts, games, and toys to replace the absence of the blue screen “frenemy.” In order to satiate the instant gratification needs and dopamine stimulation patterns created by screen use you will initially need a plan (coaching tools can assist here) but once real childhood creativity kicks in you will be awestruck at the levels of fun and play that will unfold.
Up for the challenge? Don’t know where to start. Try the weekly screen reduction chart with ideas to replace screen time.
Join me as we take back Parenthood and give back REAL childhood!