I Caved for a Road Trip; Square One on iStuff

Where to begin? Aching muscles are now throbbing after last night's park visit with in-laws; of course it had less to do with them and more to do with my competitive nature (with myself). I hate to admit my weakness in the iStuff department but as I've mentioned before, I dislike embellishment so I will suck it up. 

I have only just awakened. A huge plus at my in-laws place is the one room no children will sleep in- a basement location with no window.  Geoff and I get that one. Being at the in-law's also entails the oft dreamed of sleep in. Whenever this happens though, I am invariably left feeling like I'm catching up on the day. As now. 

Let's get the elephant out of the way. I caved on the iThings. It makes me feel bad or just weak. I had taken the things away to promote quality time and it worked - to a point. As I had not given them any sort of timeline as to the duration of their loss it is possible they are unaware of how bad I feel about caving. Or that I caved at all... but I know I did.

The children are content and we have plans for Canada Day celebrations that will not include iThings. It is difficult to see the benefit in the removal of their toys when they are getting along and also looking forward to family time.  The bigger picture, to me, was their cultivation of creative play. ("But I do play creative in Minecraft.")

I realize that, like any parent before me, times have changed. I was twenty-three when I got my first email address. I didn't have a PC until I was twenty-five or a cell phone until I was thirty. My children have had access to a computer since they were born and my daughter has a cell phone- as do most of the girls she knows. I do not consider learning about the outside world or their inner thoughts to reduce my stance to a "stick in the mud". 

They have to have access to this stuff because they are expected to know how these things work and are also expected to use them. With that in mind I can say I've done my part in that education but I will not relieve my responsibility in forming their social and creative skills. I will regain control over the time they spend on the things as it is summer and there is so much more they can be doing.  Once we get back to business as usual I will try again. In the meantime I will take this reprieve for my aching muscles; until this afternoon anyway as we have some celebrating to do in honour of my beloved country. Bonne fete du Canada!