Screen Bucks!!

We are not big television watchers. We love it too much. So to keep us from watching too much we just don't get cable. We had limited basic in Wyoming simply because it was the only way to get decent internet.

Now in our new place we get free cable. Not a million channels, but quite a few more than we've had in the past. And we ALL enjoy it. The kids love having Disney and Nick Jr. playing shows for them all day long. Jason loves that we have multiple ESPN channels. And I enjoy a whole slew of reality tv, Law and Order reruns, the food network and HGTV, and anything Oprah produced. :)

Having been miserably huge and tired this summer, and then having a newborn, we just got into the habit of watching WAY too much tv! And if it wasn't the tv it was the computer. And sometimes it was both simultaneously. While also playing games on the ipod or phones.

So for Family Home Evening this week I decided to talk to the kiddos about our screen time. We all agreed that EVERYONE in the family was guilty of spending way too much time in front of a screen of some kind. I asked the kids why this might not be such a good thing and they had tons of great ideas. So we decided to all try to cut back and created our own little way to manage our screen time.

I'm a good mom. Nothing spectacular. I make mistakes just like everyone else, but I do my best and I love my kids. And then every now and then I have moments of pure GENIUS!!

We made "Screen Bucks"! Screen bucks are "money" that can be traded for screen time. Each one is worth five minutes in front of a screen of your choice. They are received for doing chores without whining or being asked, doing something extra kind, and as general rewards throughout our day. And they work like magic!!

Not only have they helped us to significantly decrease our screen time, but they are helping to encourage good behavior all day as well! I love it! They are working so well for our family. Let's just hope their magic doesn't wear off anytime soon, because these moments of genius don't come to me quite often enough! :)