Turn off that TV (again)

About 18 months ago I posted about our move into unrestricted access into the technological world, commonly broadcast as "screen time." It has been in the top five of posts read ever since and today had 182 visits almost 12 months after I wrote it. So, it's time for an update: 

The first thing to note is that there are defiantly seasonal changes in the usage of all things screen related (that is: ipads, tablets, computer, smart phones and wii.) The Winter hibernating months naturally mean that we spend more time at home and there are more technology based activities going on. The other thing that has changed is the amount of time that mummy and daddy spend with the smalls doing what they are doing. Mummy and daddy both have minecraftPE and we daily play minecraft together. Minecraft really needs its own post. Suffice to say that it is a big part of our home ed and family life. But in addition to this mummy has also become a master at other games such as 'Plants vs Zombies' and she is working on 'The Sims,' 'Skylanders,' and 'Mariocart,' amongst others. 

Each of the smalls interacts with devices in their own way:

Bean, 7, is most definitely the biggest user. His primary activity of choice always involves his tablet. He plays games, he learns minecraft parodies, he watches youtube videos, he loads and deletes and manages his account, he fixes small problems. He uses the computer to watch dvds and netflix and cbbc, we google places and people and questions together, we plan visits and buy tickets and put items onto his amazon wish list and he plays minecraft with this friends. When he wants to see if his friend is available to play he used to ask me to message her mum, now he skypes her directly. He records his own lego dramas and minecraft games and loads them onto youtube and we've even had a go at stop frame animation. And he has his own digital camera which he takes hundreds of photos with. It would be wrong to say that everything he does in life involves technology but even the interests he follows (like investigating growing mould and creating a '"Total Wipeout" course in the back garden are ideas that were generated by watching something.

Pumpkin, 6, uses screens for all the same things that Bean does but just not as much. He can often be seen to be playing lego on our living room window sill whilst others are using the computer. He gravitates towards it when he is tired and enjoys playing together or watching together with Bean. Their top games to play together are minecraft and Lego Indiana Jones. He really enjoys watching funny videos: cartoons, Mr Bean episodes, You've Been Framed.

Plum, 3, is fluent and capable at using the tablet and knows what she wants to use the computer for but just needs someone to use the mouse for her. She mostly watches youtube or iplayer or dvds. Current big hits are Peppa Pig, Surprise Eggs, Bing, Melody and various Disney movies. But she could honestly take it or leave it. She is just as readily found playing doll's house, playdough, painting, Peppa Pig toys, in the garden. If we are up first together it is not uncommon for the computer to remain off and we are doing something else together. 

It would be fair to say that when we are at home then the computer is on and being used...or appearing to be used. Sometimes we can be playing a game together or colouring or baking or bathing and it is on but really no-one is concentrating solely on the programme. The use of technology is central to our learning journeys. Each of the smalls use it differently but they do all use it and mummy uses it to. It is a simple and effective way of organising events, booking places, linking up with family and friends, recording our journey, relaxing with film and music, ordering the weekly shop and keeping on top of finances. I don't regret our decision to trust our children and allow them the freedom to use technology as they see fit.

Is there a downside? YES! You know that Sunday afternoon feeling, the one where you want to curl up on the sofa under a blanket, rest and watch a family movie together? IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! The smalls want to go roller skating, or to the park, or swimming, or the beach. There is at no point that we can say 'let's watch together' and they will jump at the chance because it's not a treat or a one off event anymore, if there's something that they would rather be doing then we're doing it because the screen is always an option at any other time.  

Do they spend more than two hours a day using devices? Yes. Most days there are at least two devices on all day. Some days the computer is on but really we are busy doing other things.

And all the time the learning goes on. 

Fire Station

March 3rd

A visit to Storrington Fire Station with a group of home ed friends and then a playdate at one of our friend's houses. 

Pumpkin loved driving the Fire Engine and having the blue lights flashing.

At our friend's house the children all played battles, each with their own weapon and armour. The game was so involved that leaving took an hour longer than we had planned and the battle had to be paused so that it can be resumed another day and we had to make a future date to make sure that it would happen.


March 4th

A trip to Fisher's Farm where we bumped into our friend M. We stayed for four hours. Plum tried out the new train ride and they all used the bouncy pillows and indoor play area as well as cow cannons. Pippin had one feed when we arrived and then slept the whole afternoon cosy in the sling. 

New Forest Get Away

February 27th - March 2nd

In truth we mostly spent our time watching A Night at the Museum and A Night at the Museum 2 interspersed with Over the Hedge! There was also a lot of game playing: monopoly, Blackbeard's Treasure, Caterpillers, fuzzy felt, rush hour, jumping frogs, bricks and duplo.

Saturday we took a visit into the New Forest to play football and ride our bikes/walk. It was windy and bitterly cold. Pippin did not like it at all and we had forgotten to pack Bean a coat. Somehow we managed to last two hours and Plum and mummy had a decent walk too.

Sunday we went to church and then down to the beach at Pumpkin's request. Again it was windy and bitterly cold. The boys enjoyed the play area but Plum was too cold and mummy and Plum went back to the car and watched the bird life on the beach.

Monday was Plum's birthday outing. We took her to Peppa Pig World at Paultons Park and we had the best day. Bean had been a little apprehensive about the Peppa Pig idea but it was soon forgotten. There were a whole bunch of rides that were suitable for us all as a family and the boys were able to ride on some independently which they liked. Bean asked several of the attendants about the rides before he got on and Plum, who initially had said that she didn't want to see Peppa and George characters, watched from afar and by the end of the day went to wave close up.

We drove home in the evening. Plum was ever so disappointed that Grandma and Pops weren't there and wanted to stay until they came home. 

Pizza Making

February 27th 

We were up early and walked across town to join a home ed group at Pizza Express to make pizza! Both the boys loved it but Pumpkin was in his element. He asked me the other day when he could start being a chef.

We took our pizzas into town and played on the bandstand with our friend M. She is fast becoming a close friend of Bean's which includes them organising their own social calendars. Today this meant that Bean offered for her to come to our house and make pizza after he accidentally knocked her box over and the pizza ended up on the floor. She was a little upset and this was Bean's solution. So, next week she will be coming over to our house to make pizza.

The afternoon was spent packing and driving to the New Forest for our belated family get away.

Legomania: Bricks in Motion

February 26th

For the third year running we traveled to Milestones Museum in Basingstoke to visit the Legomania exhibition and, in my opinion, is the best one yet. It's still our furthest drive in a day but still well worth it and we have plans to do a second visit, probably nearer the end of the exhibition when the live build will be almost complete.

 The arcades were a big hit with all three of the smalls. Plum enjoyed the rides and the boys enjoyed the puppet theaters and sweet grabbing games (which they were rather good at!)

Happy talk

We saw the air ambulance land today on the green next to our house. Bean wanted to take a photo of it and we discussed what kind of situation might require an air ambulance. We talked about the differences between illness that you can catch and medical conditions that you can't catch. What with our recent trip to hospital and cousinB breaking his fibular it was all quite topical. We discussed blood transfusions and blood types and blood donations and what blood does and what's in it and our friend whose job it is to test people's blood for different things. 

Today we took the boys to rollerdisco. They both are keen to go again. Bean began to master the rollerskating skill, he had balance and confidence and was really enjoying himself. Pumpkin took a little longer to feel comfortable and took them off shortly after arriving but wanted to have another try towards the end of the two hours. Plum was a little disappointed that she didn't have rollerskates but did enjoy running around the hall. It was really good to start getting back into meeting others and finding something that we all enjoy. 

When we got home Pumpkin, Plum and mummy made jelly. Pumpkin is finding the process a little slow but we did manage to distinguish between melting and dissolving. 

Bean made his own arrangements to play minecraft with his friend and came home, skyped her and got on with it. I was rather redundant in the whole process.

Secret Smile

It was Wednesday tea time, the same as any other, when I was feeding Lydia and noticed a lump on her neck about the size of a golf ball. She had had a temperature on and off for a couple of days and had been a little out of sorts with her feeding and sleeping and generally being unsettled. The lump was only on one side of her neck, had appeared suddenly and was hard. That evening I took her to the UTC in Crawley where she was assessed, with an initial diagnosis of a blocked lymph node we were sent to East Surrey Hospital. I have only driven to ESH once on my own before and never from Crawley, it was late (about 10pm), dark and raining (not my favourite driving conditions) but the Lord undertook it for us to arrive safely and without getting lost. We spent a large portion of the night in cubicles in A and E, she began a course of antibiotics via iv, and we were finally admitted to the ward at 3.30am. The following day we were blessed by a friend who came to play with the children whilst Steve drove Matthew to ESH to bring us supplies and collect the car. This was the last time I was going to see Matthew as Anna then became ill too with vomiting. By Friday morning we knew that Lydia was going to be transferred and possibly have an operation but we didn’t know when or where to. She was nil by mouth on Friday from 9.30am-8pm. It can only be a miracle that she was so settled all day. Another friend came to visit bringing with her more supplies as we now knew that we were going to be several days. She also surprised me with a bag full of goodies, mostly edibles, which I told her I really didn’t need. She also left Lydia a dummy to help calm her as I could no longer breast feed. It turned out that both these things were a God send.

We were transferred to St. George’s in Tooting at about 5pm on Friday and sat in A and E for several hours, in the process I had missed any evening meal and so the bag of edibles came in handy after all. By 8pm we had seen an ENT doctor who confirmed that they would operate but not until tomorrow when we would be put on a waiting list. Lydia could be fed through the evening but had to be nil by mouth again after 4am. At 9.30am the anaesthetist came to see me and told me Lydia would be in theatre for 10am. He explained to me how anaesthetic works with babies and how they can find the gas mask distressing and how it can be quite upsetting. Lydia on the other hand chose to lick at the gas as they gave it to her and fell peacefully into sleep, she wasn’t distressed at all. And after one hour and 15 minutes in theatre she was finished. After about 15 minutes she opened her eyes for a while and then she slept and fed simultaneously for about three hours.

The biggest answer to prayer for me was that Lydia got to keep her smile. The position of the abscess and its size (by the time it was operated on it was about the size of a tennis ball) on such a little girl meant that there was a very real possibility that they would catch the nerve that allows your mouth to turn upwards when you smile. It runs under your jaw line and would have left that side of her mouth drooping. I don’t think it is something I will take for granted again and will always be a reminder of God’s blessing towards us.

On Sunday the ENT doctors removed the packing from the wound, 24 hours earlier than they planned to. The biggest blessing of the day was a visit from a friend. She phoned me about 7pm and asked if she could come, it was going to take about 40 minutes for her to drive so could I pray that the traffic was okay. I also prayed that she wouldn’t get lost (because she has a habit of doing that.) And she arrived at 7.50 having driven on clear roads and found the hospital, car park, wing and ward without any problems. We went to the coffee shop and I was so thankful to see a familiar face. On the way home she got lost several times and stuck in traffic.

Monday was spent waiting, waiting, waiting for one doctor to come and see Lydia. She arrived at 3pm to tell us that all was well and we could go home. Thank you to Steve for coming to collect us.

It wasn’t an easy time being apart as a family. Matthew worked hard to try and find friends and family who could help out. Unfortunately my parents are on the holiday of a lifetime in New Zealand, my sister’s son has broken his fibula so she was looking after him, my friend who initially came to play with the children had caught the sickness bug that Anna had, my other friend who came to visit me on the Friday had a house full of coughs and colds to look after. We were grateful to Matthew’s sister who had the boys to stay for two nights, before catching Flu herself, and to another friend who had Anna to play for the day. Despite everything Lydia and I knew that God was with us and taking care of us, but most of all we thank God that we are home again.