Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
When my son is home, he shuts them off from all devices on school nights. But when he is gone every 2 weeks for his 2 week stint in the oil fields, his wife lets them do what they want as she gets up at 2 AM and is tired after getting home at around 4 PM. She is not awake to see what they are doing. I do NOT live with them. I live 3 miles down the road and come in to babysit everyday. So it is not my fault.
Wow. It sounds like a difficult situation. If the mother is absent, and cannot take proper care of them, that's the real issue I think. (Saying so probably doesn't help, but...)
Pure cause and effect. If the cause is that there is no proper supervision when it's necessary (aka 6pm onwards until bedtime), then no amount of rear end solutions (waking, doing x or whatever) will have any lasting effect, imo.
That might sound harsh, but that's the reality.
I think that rooftops suggestion is likely one of the best. A reading time before bed yields so many benefits. Greater connectedness, better sleep for the child, fostering a love of books and reading, etc. In this case, better sleeping hours and more normal sleep / wake patterns.
If the mother is not available, is there an older sibling, who could read? Are there a number of them?
Removal of the devices past 8pm or so is an absolutely necessary move, but we don't really know enough about the circumstances there to know how that might be achieved.
Take courage as you fight on! Prayer will be a good starting point.
Thank you for your suggestion. There is NO HOPE for the removal of the electronics unless my son is home. But once he's gone for 2 weeks, she simply gives them back to them. I counted the electronics the other day, there are 5 Tablets, 4 Laptops, 4 handheld Nintendoes, 2 X Boxes with TV's, and 1 Play Station. My son has the Internet on an App on his phone where he can shut it all down. So I called him and told him he needs to shut it all off at at least 8 PM EVERY NIGHT. This will probably cause a squabble between me and the mother, but hey! someone has got to say something.
Hang in there, nan.
Thanks friend.
I didn’t say it’s your fault. I said it’s the adults fault. If that happens to be the mother - then it’s her fault! Perhaps you could make a suggestion to her or your son or both?
Yes and I'm sorry that that came out that way. It has been a very trying day and I aim to give her all the suggestions every passed my way. Truly I am sorry. I also bit someone elses head off on here that I didn't mean too. So please forgive me as I do need a break from the monotony of it all.
No worries! I understand it’s a sensitive subject, and I would never want to offend you personally. You are my FREN! 🐸
Christ is in us, so patient, so understanding, so how could I not be with a fellow friend. God bless you and have a great day.
Thank you for understanding. God bless you and I pray you have a very lovely weekend.
you could use some type of visual sticker chart that appeals to 'his' interests. make it big & the stickers motivating/get a timer & break the chart into chunks of the day that would be manageable- morning, afternoon, evening-closer increments depending on behavior level.
then when he has a positive period of time, he gets a sticker. so many stickers & he can 'buy' rewards. also start helping him make a list of positive rewards & 'why' that is the best choice, so he's not just picking crap. also remind him that many people struggle to make such products for low wages, so be mindful of their time & energy.
Thank you much friend. I will suggest this to his mother.
That would be a great idea if the Mother wasn't 'dead on her feet' when she got home. Remember, she gets up around 2/ 2:30 AM just like I do and has to be at work by 5 AM. Her job is about 25 mile away and so it's a slight drive in the darkness. By the time she get's off at 3:30 PM she is 'spent.' Then sometimes she has to stop by the grocery as the 2 year old drinks a lot of milk. So she may not get home until 5 Pm. Then she has to cook supper and give the 2 smallest kids their baths. The 3 older boys then have to get theirs and by that time she is 'OUT.' I will suggest this as it sounds like a very good idea. I wish she didn't work so hard and would take more time for the kids, but that's not for me to decide. God bless.
you're welcome:) it's often called a 'token economy' if you want to look up examples
I will and thanks again.