Teenagers, Ipods, Cell phones, tv games. and the OBAMAS. 

What kind of controls do you use as a parent to allow teens to have these much sought after items and at the same time not become obsessed by the games, texting and in the process shutting out the people around them who care, the world and what is going on in it?    Teens while on Ipods and texting become like robots.   They have stopped seeing, hearing and paying attention to all that is going on around them.     They loose their ability to make eye contact and converse with parents, grandparents, aunts and cousins.   As a grandparent it is easy to give in and just stop trying to make contact.    What grandparent wants to be the “bad guy” and have to say “put that device away” and talk with me.   For sure, that doesn’t work very well.  
I hear that President Obama and Michelle allow their daughters to have their Ipods and cell phones only one day a week.     That sounds like a possible and workable solution.
They also are requiring their girls to have regular household chores, i.e., taking care of their dog, including picking up the poop, doing their own laundry and keeping their room clean and organized.     There may be other chores required of them but these are a few that have been made public.      What a good model for our own families and children.   Chores are necessary, imo, to allow children to feel needed and important in the family and teaching them how to care for themselves in all areas. What girl or boy doesn’t need to know how to cook a meal and care for own clothes and their pets.      They also serve the purpose of decreasing the amount of time they have to seek out diversions, like Ipods, etc.
It appears that Michelle Obama knows about structure and children.  Allowing one day for the phone, Ipod, etc. means that she doesn’t have to argue with the children every day about putting the device away in order to do required chores, homework, etc. 
A Grandma’s thoughts. 

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