When I was in SC/GA on vacation in July, the TV stations were having Back to School supply drives as the schools were starting this week. It is so hot there in Aug I hope the schools have air conditioning!
In Denver, many of the schools do not! School used to be post Labor day to early June and there weren’t many really hot days Now that they start mid-Aug that is a BIG problem. My sister worked in one that didn’t have air-con and she wasn’t allowed to open the windows (some safety reason or janitors didn’t want the dirt or noise). About half of her school had air con but her room did not. I think it was last year that school started but then they had to cancel two or three days when it was 100 degrees. It’s not like kids can go out on the playground when it is 100 degrees either.
I worry about recess outside when we’re still having alerts about the heat and air quality. I’m concerned about our very fair skinned GD in kindergarten, both because she’s likely to burn easily and because she rarely drinks water without a reminder.
Despite her father’s concern about white showing dirt and red clay stains, I bought two pairs of white sneakers for GD instead of black or navy, the only other approved colors. When one pair is dirty, he can wash it while she wears the other pair. I’ll replace them when necessary. I vividly remember being forced to wear black orthopedic oxfords in first and second grade. On the playground in a very hot and humid climate my feet felt as if they were on fire and I envied my friends who wore white Keds.
GD’s daycare spends a lot of time outside. The kids all have sunscreen, and they never go outside without it. When she’s at our house & we’re getting ready to go outside, she makes sure we all put on sunscreen. I’m imagining her in kindergarten, putting on her sunscreen before recess, regardless of whether or not any other kids are putting it on!
Little Miss Mess is napping at our house. We are watching her today so her mom can get some rest and help her husband with some house repair stuff. I’m glad the Blue Angels are flying further away south today so at least the house is not shaking like it was hit by an earthquake!
Younger s just sent the most adorable video of his 2 yo playing those pipe/marimba looking things they have on playgrounds while singing his own unique version of the alphabet song.
In the meantime older s sent a pic of his kids climbing all over him in the front seat of the parked car and honking the horn. Quite the difference.
Our lake holiday with the family was canceled due to wildfire. We ended up having a family gathering at one of my kids. 4 nights with the 4 grandchildren all together. The 28 month old had a blast riding on farm equipment, feeding the animals. Instead of a lake we had two kiddie pools which I think the kids loved more than they would have liked a lake. My body is sore from all the lifting of little ones. It warmed my heart to all be together.
Our 18 month old figured out how to find YouTube icon on parents phone and how to put her favorite show from recently viewed. It’s annoying for parents that she can put her show anytime she wants but sort of impressive how she can navigate .
These kids are growing up with technology their friend – heck, technology as an attachment to their brains. It’s amazing how comfortable they are with it.
My 17 month old GS is not as focused on technology as his sister was/is, but I do get videos of him with the other parent’s phone, walking around while holding it up and saying cheese! He has learned how to take a selfie!
Not only the Gkids, but I honestly learn just what I need to get by on some technology, while DH (ECE and continuing technology interfacing in retirement endeavors) pretty much is in step with the technology. I handle like I have an in-house IT department – if I need something done on my phone and I am with DDs, they do it for me.
GKids do greatly observe what is going on around them – and 6 YO does have at least one classmate with her own cell phone. I was a ‘mean mom’ and DDs only had their own cell phone after they had their driver’s license because they really did not have a need for a cell phone until then. DD1/SIL have their computer in the home office; GKids love to use drawing pictures on grandpa’s laptop.
I see some parents/grandparents using technology as a babysitter - and while I am not in that household to assess the child’s overall development and screen time use, I see the headphones and the little child held device in places like the grocery store on very young kids.
I’m in the old-fashioned camp that this is not a good thing, except in very limited amounts. D feels the same way. When they were on their way to their annual two week camping vacation, other grandma wanted to send them (age 5 and 3) tablets for the car ride and use at camp. D put her foot down and said they’re not taking their kids to the woods to look at screens.
She was telling us when she got home that some of the other parents (it’s a family-oriented cabin camp site organized around a lake, tons of activities) were lamenting that they couldn’t get their kids off tablets to go out and do things. D was like–take the tablets away from them! Zero sympathy (And note: both kids were sick part of the week because another family brought a virus with them and passed it around unfortunately, and yet D and her H were still able to keep the littles busy without screens.)
D does not allow GD to play with a computer or other technology at home. I am not a fan of kids using computers or getting attached to screens early, so it’s not an issue at my house. The other grandparents allow GD to use some sort of kids’ laptop and watch stuff on the phone, and D/SIL don’t tell them no - but they let them know that they aren’t too thrilled. Just yesterday, GD got incredibly upset because I wouldn’t let her watch videos on my phone - I tried to get her interested in doing something else, and she lost it (she’s 3.5). I tried to redirect for a bit, then I walked away. She got herself together after that, and we played with some Bluey figurines. But I felt like such a mean grandma! I hate it when I feel the need to say no, but I also know that she is with me too often for me to let her do whatever she wants. My SIL’s grandkids live with her, and she never says no. That works for her, but I just can’t do that.
My D allows very little screen time for her 5 year old. Due to her allergy treament at home, she has to keep her heart rate down once she has her food allergy dose. During that time, which is after dinner, she gets 30 minutes of tv time, which is usually Bluey, Gabby’s Dollhouse, or Paw Patrol. She also is allowed her tablet when they go to the allergist for her up dose and shots as they have to sit in the exam room for a hour after. Other than that, she only can have her tablet for a bit of time when on long flights. As GD has become more interested in our phones, we are now not allow to play on them around her. This has actually been good for all of us, as we are just mindlessly scrolling. They also do not watch tv until she goes to bed.
My son on the other hand, his D is always watching tv or on her tablet. She is a busy one, so they do use it as a babysitter more than they should.
DS and DIL don’t watch TV at home at all so GD will not have screen time. But when they are on the plane or eating at the restaurant they need to have her distracted so they can eat 10 minutes in peace . Everyone have their parenting style so no judgement one way or another.
My GD does watch tv. She loves programs like Gabby’s Dollhouse, and she uses those programs as a springboard for her own make believe play. She typically plays while a show is on, running over to watch when she hears something she likes (she especially loves songs - she sings & dances to them). It’s the computers, tablets and phones that D and SIL limit. I also am uncomfortable with young kids using them. I don’t judge anyone else - I just want to try to make sure GD holds off on that stuff as long as possible when she’s with me. I want her to interact with me instead of the screens.
DGS 4.5 and DGD 2.5 watch Kratts Creatures and Daniel Tiger’s neighborhood, and I let them watch TV when they are here during “nap time.” Neither of the little boogers nap very often, and frankly, I am tired by that time of day. DGS is now in a 5-day full-day program, and DGD will ratchet up from 3 to 5 days in the same program at the end of August. I love them very much, but am looking forward to them both being in such an amazing preschool every day. I know I will still be babysitting plenty with all the holidays, sick days and staff development time off.
You know you are doing the right thing, and your GD will also know and understand with time that you are doing what is best for her. You did not allow her to manipulate you, and saying no sometimes is part of parenting and grandparenting.
Hopefully your SIL’s grandkids have others that say no sometimes.
With our Gkids, we follow what their parents want - and we tell the Gkids that their parents are in charge when they are in the house, and when parents are away from the house that grandpa and I follow the directions that their parents give. Older Gkids are always up for a game, reading, or other activity, short bursts of TV time allowed – sometimes as reward or just before nap or bedtime.
H and I allow older GD to use an iPad to play edutainment games and read along with several books that offer the choice of reading alone or with a narrator. She was about three when we began, and while she still likes them she rarely asks for them. Instead, she asks to type on my computer. Knowing that she will have computer classes in kindergarten, I was happy for her to get familiar with the keyboard.
D and SiL do not want their kids to have tablets at home and don’t let them use their computers. I was surprised since our kids started playing edutainment games at 2.5 - 3 yrs. and by 4 they loved playing Wheel of Fortune with us. (It was the old 8-bit version.)
It seems to be more SiL who has a problem with computer use, as he resists doing anything for or with the kids that he didn’t experience as a child. I’ve learned that applies to many other things, unfortunately.
D1 and SIL don’t allow their kids to use laptops, iPhones, iPads or any kind of screens. They do allow a small amount of TV. (The twins had zero TV until just before their 3rd birthdays. Mom only related because on one vacation trip she had 3 sick kids and 1 sick adult cooped up in a hotel room for 2 nights. She had to do something to entertain restless children.) Now either Friday or Saturday evening is movie night. The whole family sits down together to watch a G-rated movie or 2-3 episodes of Sesame Street or Bluey. The privilege of choosing the movie from a switches between the twins on a weekly basis. I imagine once little brother gets more verbal, he’ll get put in the movie choice rotation too.
I think the only time the grandkids were allowed to use an iPad was when SIL and the 3 kids flew cross-country in April when they moved. The twins were allowed to watch the movies he’d loaded on his iPad during the flight. But that was a one time, very special circumstance.
We are donating our extra one to the owners… 
