When I read this post full of great ideas about things to do while waiting, it made me remember how when I was little. My mom would play I Spy with me to pass the time while waiting. I am sure my mom was tired after a long days work and didn’t really want to do it, but I LOVED it. One on one time with my mom and she had nothing else to do but be with me! At home there were chores to do and she worked during the day, so the waiting times were MY time.
What do most of the kids today do while having to wait somewhere?
- Read a book
- Play with toys
- Watch a video (in one orthodontists office we visited they have TV for each kid to watch while waiting for the doctor)
- Play Hand held video game
- Do homework
Think about it. What do you usually see them doing? Honestly I see most of them using a screen of some kind. I have even seen moms give toddlers their iPhone to keep them entertained instead of reading them a book or playing with them.
I am not judging, I have been tired and frustrated while waiting for certain things and would at times love such an option. I will admit that my boys own no hand held video games. I think they should read if they are bored.
I have used my iPhone to entertain Thing 3 at a neighbors home that had no toys while DH and I were trying to have a conversation with the other adults. So there are certainly times when hand held devices are useful.
However tempting it may be to hand off my iPhone to T3 during waiting times, I really have nothing else I have to do at that time. No chores, no work… so I will try to remember to play I Spy instead.
So we can make a connection instead of encouraging the disconnect the world seems to be full of.
What do you think is better for waiting, I Spy or the iPhone?
I love this post! Such a great reminder.
We play the animal guessing game (one person thinks of an animal and the other players each get to ask 3 questions to figure out what animal has been chosen) or I Spy. I’m trying to think of other games to play while waiting, but my boys really love the animal guessing game and have gotten quite good at asking appropriate questions.
In our house, electronic devices are for long haul drives only. I love that my 9 year olds know their way around our town because they haven’t been distracted by a screen. I’ve just started borrowing books on tape with the corresponding books for the boys to read while we’re in the car. We just finished the first Harry Potter book.