Help me ditch the screens and spend more time with the kids

[WishIHadAFunkyName]

I am ashamed to say that I'm more likely to be on my laptop or phone than spend time with the kids.
I don't want to be but I end up doing that.
I know how awful that is.

They play well together most of the time so its easy for me to just go and do something else but I'm aware that they are growing fast and I'm missing out. I would absolutely hate it if what they remember most about their mum was that she was on the computer or phone all the time.

I've already resolved to put my phone on silent and away til they've gone to bed.

I would like some ideas please of what I could do with my 8 and 6 yr old boys that doesn't involve me playing with lego or dinosaurs.
I do take them out a lot so its more about things we can do at home.

Given the time of year you could do Christmas crafty things/wrapping presents/putting up decorations?

My friend's DS is six and spent whole days making a garage for his cars, a helipad, etc all out of old boxes (he is quite arty but loves his cars and trucks, so it was two birds with one stone).

Maybe have a time of the day that is yours for screen time, when they are in bed or they have someone else around, it's important you get some time to do what you like too.

Good on you for realising the issue OP. I am online when my (much smaller!) DS is napping but I try to curb texting/messaging etc when he's ready to play too. Truly a sign of the times and there will be many people who don't realise it.

I hate crafts :(

But we baked some chocolate chip cookies yesterday and I ignored my phone.

Some old school board games like snakes and ladders, connect 4 etc?

I try to get my two boys to be more active rather than watch tv or play their games. but it seems like they enjoy that more than spending time with me. Each time we go out for walks to the parks or feed the ducks it is like a mission to get them out of the house. Maybe I've been letting this go on for too long and they don't enjoy outdoors activities compared to their computer games. they are 9 and 7yrs old. sometime is easier to just let them do what they like but in the long term there is the negative side because they have become so lazy and unmotivated. so I think is good to have a family time when everyone can spend time together even when its once a week.

Why not do a bit of what they like? Just a short period and try and pretend it's fun?

What's wrong with lego or dinosaurs? Isn't that what all young boys want to play? (my boy is much younger than yours - 4 - but I don't see his passion for lego waning anytime soon, in fact DH is 36 and he still loves playing with it )

Given that your two are older what about board games (I still love 'frustration' and my son loves hungry hippos and kerplunk type games) jigsaws or card games?

My son is much younger so he does lots of imaginative play, not sure if that changes when they get older? But lots of pretending to be batman, pirates, police, naughty men, explorers and I have to join in and we role play (he will spend hours doing this).

They might also be young enough to enjoy a good game of hide and seek round the house?

Fair play on reducing screen time. I was aware that me and DH's laptop time was increasing and after a holiday in september which was screen time free (apart from the odd tv programme for DS1) we agreed (like you) to only use the laptops when DS1 isn't there as I didn't want him thinking that we thought our crappy laptops were more important than him.

It does sometimes sneak back in so I have to be vigilant (and less lazy!) but I think it's worth it.

We do jigsaws, experiments, write songs and make up music, monopoly, chess, cards, hide and seek in the house, bake, make up stories, watch science shows, model building, scrap books, keep a diary with funny things said or done, organise our wall calendar so I am not social director they have input and are not allowed to moan I haven't organised things, with cinema, invite people round, days out, think about new sports and try them like climbing, goe caching, watching re enactments.

They write funny poetry, silly rhymes and I film it with iPad when they dress up and act out the knights and dragons.

You could find out what they are doing at school and try to enlarge on it, like looking at a different country and they have to draw it, find out about it in the library, learn a few words of the language, learn to juggle, clean out the fridge, know how to put the food back:)