I can have screen time and tidy or none and mess. It's worth it right?

[Babyboomtastic]

I've come to the conclusion I can allow lots of screen time and live in a tidy house, or, I can live in a tip (in some rooms anyway), and the kids have no screen time.

About 3 weeks ago I told the kids there was no more screen time until they tied their bedrooms and the playroom. They shrugged and said okay.

Since then they haven't asked once for screens. They haven't done the tidying and those rooms or even this year because they're continually in their playing.

But they ARE playing. They are seven and nine, a many of the older ones contemporaries don't play anymore, which is a bit sad.

I'd like to not have to dance to get across playroom, but I like that there's no arguments about one more episode, the kids seem a little calmer, and they played Sylvanian families for like three hours straight the other day.

Oh for a tidy house, but I think it's worth it right now.

Nor me 'we’re not really a screaming, shouting kind of family.' I mean I have resorted to shouting occasionally because sometimes it's the only thing left to try, but it's rare. 99% of the shouting and screaming comes from the kids.

TBF, 1 has (likely but undiagnosed) ADHD, the second health issues which include neuro stuff which means her emotional regulation is shot.

So when they do actually get round to tidying, one of tidies up the pen the other apparently wanted to tidy, usually results in a huge row and 2 diving children in different rooms. Hours later, this has happened multiple times, we are all totally frazzled, and very little progress made.

So right now I'm picking my battles. And a happy but messy, screen free home isn't a long term solution, but it is some blessed respite from what feels like digging snow with a teaspoon during a blizzard.