What we do with our fussy littles!

Fussy children, screaming about not watching tv, not wanting to play with toys, or go outside… My husband and I know exactly what you are dealing with. Although technology can really teach our children many different skills, they become addicted to it very fast. Unfortunately at times we have to help them go through a detox from these devices.(We adults do too!)  

The other day our littles were being extremely fussy and whining about everything. My daughter even started to grab my phone and try to unlock it. This is something we do not let our kids do. We believe they need to ask and we dont keep games on our phones. (I have no judgment on others that do, it’s just what we agreed on and my husband has a flip phone) We would send them to play or even sit and play with them, and they would immediately start to whine and yell at each other, while also hitting and now the fun stuff… biting. Which has not been a previous problem. So after trying to calmly tell them to behave, along with explaining what would happen if they didn’t play nice. No improvement.Then telling them to behave a little louder and more stern, then eventually yelling for them to get along, well the behaviors only started to get worse. After sending them to their rooms to spend some time alone which usually helps, they were still acting up. 

So we pulled out the big guns. NO TV FOR A WEEK!! 

This marks the second time in the last year we are instituting a no TV week in our house. Now my husband and I still get to watch our shows minimally, usually before the kids wake or after they go to bed, but we try to not watch much ourselves also. Remember… more is caught than taught. 

I know this might seem a little extreme to some, but we have done it before with great results. It only took 1-2 days for  them to remember how to play together, how to love playing outside and stop acting out (so much). They became more present. They stopped asking to watch tv constantly. After a week they really did not care if I shut the tv off after 1 show or if I said no shows at all. They even would walk away from a show and go play.

One of the hardest parts of this is not just that the kids can’t watch tv.. It’s that I have to stay really committed…NO MATTER WHAT.(I was even sick at one point during this time.. guys it was hard!!!) Now in all honesty, when I was sick I did watch a movie with them, but they had to help me pick up all of our rooms and clean them. Normally, I’m not above having them watch Sesame Street while I get something done quickly. But during this no tv week, that is not an option. So as a parent I have to get creative. I have to figure out an activity for them to enjoy while I get the task done or have them help me.

This can really make for some crafty, messy time. My littles love to paint, color, draw (not just on paper, picture my son with marker all over his face…yup), cut paper to smaller pieces, get out all the Tupperware, and go splash in the puddles. 

During this week we read tons of books instead of mindlessly watching TV. We spend a lot of time finding all their toys to play with, and picking up all their toys. It’s not an easy punishment to give, since all of us parents seem to have to be more ON and present that week, but the results are AMAZING!!! This time was more eye opening to me. I found that I was enjoying my time away from tv and really enjoyed reading piles of books to the kids, some I didn’t even know we had! 

I want to pray for knowledge, understanding, grace, and mostly for patience for all parents. Remember that our Littles are trying to navigate their way in this large world. They don’t know how to limit their intake of media yet, and I feel this is a MUST needed lesson in our Littles world. I pray for all parents out there trying their best! Being a parent can be hard, but I believe in all of you!! We got this. 

Tell me, what do you do when your kids are extra whiny, or feeling like not playing nice? If you try a no TV week.. let me know how it goes. 

-Kristy