So today we ended up in the Emergency Room. Our son (6) fell off the monkey bars a few days ago and the swelling just would not let up on his right wrist. So we headed over to get an X-ray done and thank goodness today is a holiday here – Labor day so the ER visit went relatively well / smooth (4hours). I had purposed to leave the house with a pack of UNO cards to keep us busy however in the rush of getting out the door forgot to pack the deck. So after two hours of sitting around in the ER our son begun to get antsy and of course he asked, “Can I have your phone to watch?” There was no telling when the X-ray would be done so I had him watch a few episodes of a show on my phone as I read my book. After about an hour when I could tell the phone battery was going low I explained to my son I needed the phone back in a few minutes (lay the boundary with a designated time) as I needed to save the battery to be in touch my husband. After a few minutes he handed over the phone (follow through ) and We then proceeded to play mental games and I-spy.
I share this story because there are times – actually many of them that screens can and should be utilized for their primary role – to provide entertainment – without heaping shame / guilt on a parent. My mind begun to wander towards families with a child living with a chronic condition that makes them spend countless hours shuffling between emergency rooms, short and long hospital stays etc. There are times when you as a parent / family are just in survival mode. I remember the first couple of weeks / months at the start of the pandemic – when there was no end in sight, when schools and Disney land alike were shutting down; this was no time to be a screen time Nazi. However as the months progressed and we developed rhythms and routines sure – incorporating screen time rules was much welcome.
I say all that to say, be kind to yourself and your family.