Electronic Devices and Mothering - Bringing the Joy and Magic Back

My son has a very controlled screen time

He isn't able to use the computer, tablet, TV or video games for hours time.

This is especially during the week days, on weekends, I'm a bit more lenient.

But even then, if we have the opportunity, we rather leave the house and not even see the devices for the whole day, worse yet, use them.

This hasn't always been this way, he used to be able to spend much more time on line, gaming or watching TV.

It is easy and can even seem that as parent we are doing the best for our children if we allow them to enjoy these things. 

Many people have told me that a person in today's society needs to know how to use different machines and devices.

We depend on the computers for work, for everything.

My son seemed to be spending more and more time sitting down and not doing anything.

And when it was time to be a responsible parent and tell him to turn the device off.

It wasn't that easy.

We just had a conversation about this with my son and husband.

How my and my husband's lives were different in our childhood.

How we were the last generation to have a childhood without computers, computer games or game consoles.

My son was very certain when he said that today people cannot live without them.

According to him there are no more works a person can do without a computer.

And that is what it seems.

Since we live in a developing country I was able to point out that there are still many people who don't use computers in their work.

There are people who have never used a computer in their life.

These people are rapidly disappearing.

For my son it was hard to imagine a family without a computer.

We were able to tell him that the important thing is to make the machine or device our servant, not our boss or owner.

It might be a handy tool but it shouldn't be the reason to live.

If I have learned something in my life it's that suffering is the best teacher.

When we suffer the lack of something we are motivated to reach out, to work for a goal, to practice and to endure.

But if we have everything, we are content to be stuck in the same place, without changing anything.

This does not mean that I make my son suffer.

Although he does accuse me of that.

Especially when I tell him to turn the device he's currently using off.

And he's also certain that I enjoy his suffering.

But what I really enjoy is to see him aspire and dream.

To long for things, to hope for something, to miss something, to sense that there is something to live for, that tomorrow will bring something he will enjoy.

So many children and youth today have at the beck and call everything they might want and need. 

And it seems they have lost the meaning of life. 

They are bored, there is no reason to exist.

The magic and joy has been leached out of their lives.

Let's not saturate our children's lives but make them aspire for something better!

Let's give them a reason to look forward!

To yearn for the next day to come.

To believe that there will be better moments ahead.

To have faith that life is worth living.