I know. This is a highly charged subject. And one for which my own thoughts and opinions have fluctuated.
One reason I am a huge fan of family trips is because it gives us common experiences and memories. These help bind and unite us as a family.
On that note, I am not a fan of passing the time with us each in our own worlds. We’ve only once tried a movie in the car and that was when Camille was very young (still backwards facing) and inconsolable. Needless to say, it didn’t work. I have, as of yet, allowed headphones to be worn in the car. We take turns choosing music (of which we are blessed with a million choices thanks to our kindie music blog/radio station and Sirius/XM receiver). And we love to listen to audio books, both old favorites as well as new-to-us (or the kids) books. We can again connect as a family with these “audio experiences”.
But Camille and I are readers. And we find ourselves in our own book worlds on long haul car/train/plane trips, anyway. I appreciate that the written word is probably a better choice than various forms of electronic entertainment. However, Chloe came along. And so far, she has not been the reader that Camille is. And she gets bored. And, honestly, I don’t have the energy/patience to constantly work with her on finding ways to either entertain her or help her entertain herself. Maybe some of you might think that makes me a “bad mommy”, but after a flight to Japan with Chloe, you might understand how exhausting that can be.
When we got back, I had Rob buy us three (3!) DSes. I admit, I thought I’d use mine, but I just haven’t. I’d really rather read or sleep than play games; that”s just who I am. As for the girls, yes, they do have DSes for long haul (this means 3+ hour) trips. They don’t play them at home; they don’t use them for shorter trips. And even on long trips, I insist that they aren’t used the entire time. Though I suspect that I get very token “ooohs” when I point out gorgeous sights along our route. Moreover, there are no games on my iPhone. Long lines? Time for us to chat and play silly games.
So, why oh why, did I push for an iPad for our upcoming trip?? For one, Camille does follow some online blogs, comics and websites. She’s learning to manage these in a way that is useful and helpful, including having started an Etsy shop (Camboodle). I figure that she can use the iPad to take care of these interests while we are at a wi-fi campground, just as I’ll be working and catching up with my own online commitments. Moreover, I am not allowing books to be brought on this journey other than travel guides. This new iPad (Minerva, Minnie for short) gives us a second Kindle device in addition to being a “netbook” for the girls.
Yes, I’ll probably agree to a couple games on Minnie. And yes, the girls can use it when they’ve grown bored of the gorgeous scenery out west. But, as with the DSes, Minnie is simply another tool. And will not be the focus of the trip. So welcome Minnie, and I hope that you will happily accept your lowly position in our travel arsenal.
Doesn’t make you a bad mommy at all! I think what you’ve done and how you’ve done it is brilliant. We have an iPad, and even though our son is only 2, he learned all of his letters from a cute little app we downloaded for him. He only looks at it on rare occasions (like when Dad is traveling and Mom needs a break!), but it has often come in handy. Like you, I’m all about responsible usage and setting boundaries. But I also think that if a few electronic devices help a family to travel more (or further) then so be it. I think successful travel is the most important thing, and if you watch a movie or two along the way, so be it! 🙂 What kids learn from traveling is far more important than whatever “loss” might occur from a few minutes play electronic devices.
Thanks Nicole! I want my kids to learn to be “quiet” and imagine as much as possible, so I’m not a huge fan of the electronic entertainment. But, yes, sometimes it makes a trip possible and enjoyable!!