Updated: Jan. 19, 2022
Originally Published: Jan. 19, 2022
With the surge of COVID and the winter blues, I’ve decided to abandon my screen time regulations once more.
Last week, my son’s basketball season was suspended due to a spike in COVID cases in our area. Just days earlier, my daughter’s tennis lessons were also halted because too many students and instructors were either in quarantine or unwell. In no time, the carefully planned schedule I had put together in September—designed to keep us active, engaged, and screen-free—was completely derailed. And just like that, we found ourselves with a lot of idle time at home.
Then came the snow. The ice. Even if there had been somewhere to go, we wouldn’t have made it out.
With all the cancellations and the gloomy weather, we spent a lot of time indoors. My kids gravitated towards their screens—switching between Roblox, Netflix, YouTube, and more. And I let them.
Instead of organizing a creative craft or baking another cake, or even suggesting a family game night or a group workout, I allowed them to hop from one screen to another, only pausing for meals or to lend a hand around the house.
I metaphorically crumpled our screen time rules and tossed them aside, where they’ll probably remain for the next few weeks while COVID cases rise and the weather is too grim to even discuss. Juggling work-from-home duties, managing the household, and keeping two tweens (and a dog) content during a pandemic takes more than I can muster. After two years of this, I’m completely drained and out of fresh ideas. Truthfully, after nearly two years of solo parenting through a pandemic, I’m just burnt out. My energy and patience are running on empty.
Letting go of screen time rules has helped ease some of that exhaustion. For a little while, the house is calm. The kids aren’t bickering. I can focus on my never-ending to-do list. And we can all temporarily escape the chaos outside.
Then comes the mom guilt. The voice in my head reminding me of all the things I should be doing and how harmful excessive screen time can be for my kids’ developing minds.
But I also choose to give myself some grace. Yes, I could have found one more craft project. I could have unearthed another board game, but it’s been a tough couple of years for everyone, especially for solo parents who shoulder the emotional, mental, physical, and financial burdens alone. Right now, with another COVID surge and the worst winter weather, it’s okay to switch into survival mode. It’s acceptable if a Wi-Fi connection becomes the cornerstone of that survival.
After all, my kids won’t face irreversible harm if they watch Encanto for the seventeenth time. If I can lean on screens a little longer (says every parent everywhere every day), my children will have a mom who is patient enough to snuggle up and enjoy one of those Encanto viewings with them once I tackle part of my workload. A mom whose nerves aren’t too frayed to play in the snow on weekends. A mom who is doing her best—which is what truly matters in the long run. At least that’s my hope.
This article was originally published on Jan. 19, 2022.
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In summary
Sometimes it’s necessary to step back from strict screen time rules, especially during challenging times like a pandemic and harsh winter conditions. Balancing work, parenting, and personal well-being can often mean prioritizing what helps maintain peace at home, even if that means extra screen time for the kids.