It had to be done! I bent the electronic rules a bit on our vacation this past weekend. There were two morning instances when the kids were allowed to use them. Normally, that’s forbidden in our house but we were in the car driving to our destination. This is the time Mom needs to keep her sanity while doing a three hour drive solo.

As soon as we waved goodbye to Daddy, they immediately asked for their Kindles. First, we did a craft. They actually enjoyed making Father’s Day cards during the first hour but once we got stuck in traffic, I caved. On the way back home, I was mentally exhausted so there was no questions when they were handed their devices upon entering the van.

Even on vacation, a little down time is a must. While some of my kids can go, go, go, others need time to unwind and take a chill. I learned this lesson the hard way when one had a meltdown down that lasted from mid afternoon well into the evening.

How To Bend Screen Time Rules 

A series of events led to this tantrum and a couple shifts in my approach could have altered the entire situation. We stayed busy all morning and with that I thought they could keep going without a break before heading to the beach.

Our youngest was in his happy place playing in the sand, then we promptly took showers so we could leave for lunch. As we walked into town, he saw the ice cream store and that’s when the meltdown began. He would not let up about getting ice cream but we were grabbing lunch so I told him, we could get some later.

That did not suffice and needless to say I had to remove him from the restaurant, carrying him back to our bed and breakfast. Because of his attitude, he got his Kindle taken away and absolutely a no on the ice cream.

I tried to stay calm during his disciplinary action and for a majority of his tantrum I did. I had one outburst but quickly flipped the switch knowing I had to be in control of my emotions.

Needless to say the next day he was back to his normal, happy go lucky self. A good night’s sleep, time to relax, a big breakfast and going home helped.

Vacationing With Children 

This abnormal behavior was his way of telling me he needed a break from all the activity. On our next vacation, I will plan downtime accordingly so that we can avoid burn out.

It turns out that it’s not just the big events we remember but the times when we are able to spend time together. My oldest son cannot stop talking about how he and I had the best time playing a round of mini golf. My middle son loved being able to play games with people all day. Our daughter loved hanging out with her grandma. Despite the ice cream debacle, my youngest would like for us to purchase a golf cart.

Although, he doesn’t take naps, resting time from here on out will be mandatory for all of us to survive. I found that even taking a drive around in the golf cart soothed him.

In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t pulled the Kindle card so quickly for my sanity and everyone else’s. He would have been able to take a little break come back a much happier kid.  I was sticking to my guns in the moment and not giving in to his whim.

Luckily, I get another shot at this in a couple weeks when we head on our next vacation. I prepared now for what to expect and will be able to plan accordingly. Even though, we have rules set at home it is okay to adjust the device rules when you are away from the comfort of home.

 

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