Let's play snap!

 As I scanned facebook this morning I came across this image and realised that it helped to sum up what M and I have been thinking about and musing over for the past few weeks.

Through a combination of events, M's Grandfather passing away, spending more time with extended family and being inspired by our 2 yr old niece to play more games we have been talking about the importance of family and friends and the distraction of technology.

As a result M and I have made a pact that we will not use our phones to scan the Internet while the children are awake and in the home. We are aware that children follow the habits of their parents and we are concerned about the signals we are sending to them if we are sitting around browsing the Internet on our phones instead of engaging in conversation, reading books and playing or working together.

This has coincided with the evenings drawing in earlier so the kids are unable to play outside with their friends after 5pm, leaving me with an extra hour with children who want to be outside with their friends, who are tired but it is too early for bed. Thankfully we have found a solution...board games, jigsaws and card games. I can't believe how much fun and how quickly time flies when we are playing the simple games that have been sitting on our toy shelves gathering dust for months.

Each night while eating our tea we decide whose turn it is to choose the evenings game and then while Lj is finishing off her dinner (30mins after MJ and I), MJ gets things set up and I get the kitchen tidied.

It is a cliche but children DO grow up so fast  so I'm trying really hard to slow down, to relax and enjoy their company while I have it.