Sunday. Phoebe's doting parents were still up in West Yorkshire for the wedding of one of their best friends - Mark who was tying the knot with social worker Sarah from Mirfield which is situated between Huddersfield and Dewsbury. Mark is a nice lad. I knew his grandfather and his father too. I am glad that he married a Yorkshire lass.
Phoebe had a bit of a lie-in today. She first yelled "Grandma!" just before six. Poor Grandpa felt neglected and promptly fell back to sleep. By the time I got up at around eight thirty, Little Phoebe was in a screen-induced trance, having already sat through twenty or thirty episodes of "Hey Duggee". Earth to Phoebe, Earth to Phoebe - come in please!
We have to remind ourselves that it is not Phoebe's fault that she has been born into a world where screentime is so prevalent. In a genuine sense, it is our fault. Three or four decades ago these screentime options were just not available. I am not sure that it is a good thing for small children to become so transfixed by what appears on their screens. Peeling Phoebe away from "Hey Duggee" or "Peppa Pig" can be like depriving her of oxygen.
In the early afternoon, I drove into the centre of the city to visit "Waterstone's" bookshop. There I bought Phoebe two traditional books - "The Three Little Pigs" and "Chicken LIcken". I also bought myself a walking book by Simon Armitage called "Walking Home" and a map of the middle of the Yorkshire coast - around Flamborough Head.
We are heading up there tomorrow to stay in a "cottage" on a farm though it's not really a cottage at all. It is an accommodation unit within a former barn. Ours is called "Nightingale Cottage". Sadly, it appears that the good weather we have been enjoying since September began is about to break. We will be there for four nights.
This evening Phoebe's mum and dad came home and I made them a tasty Sunday dinner of roast beef, roasted potatoes, carrots, parsnips and tenderstem broccoli with Yorkshire puddings and homemade gravy. This was followed by a banoffee pie from the big Tesco supermarket.
Later I went up to "The Hammer and Pincers" once again for the Sunday quiz. We didn't win but it was nice to congratulate my friend Mike on the safe arrival of his third grandchild - a healthy little girl called Joni with her whole life ahead of her. May she thrive and find happiness.
Studies have shown that there are parts of the brain that react to screens like they do to drugs and alcohol and other addictions. Scary. I think it is more the gaming side of the industry but I have seen what happens when my nearly 2 year old grand daughter is denied her TV time.
ReplyDeleteScreentime addiction crept in and many parents have not even considered its implications - not just parents but mental health experts and the makers of the material too.
DeleteIt's hard to break kids from the screens once they get hooked.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time on your getaway.
It would be very hard to rigidly block excessive screentime.
DeleteYour day had so much to delight in
ReplyDeleteWell spotted Kylie.
DeleteI certainly know the appeal of being a child carer and being able to plonk the children in front of a screen. Good? No! A relief? Oh, yes.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the weather, have a nice time away.
Thank you Andrew.
DeleteEnjoyable as thy are, little kids certainly turn your world upside down.
ReplyDeleteShe might pull a bunch of books out and scatter them on the floor. This takes two seconds to do but a minute or two for poor old Grandpa to pick up!
DeleteBannofee pie sounded and looked interesting until I discovered there were bananas in it. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteI also looked up Flamborough head, looks lovely. Have a good holiday.
Flamborough Head is at the end of a huge arc of underlying chalk that envelops East Yorkshire.
DeleteWhen she's watching those shows do you sit with her and discuss them, talk abot the colours and the things they do and say? Dinner sounds yummy!
ReplyDeleteWe do tend to sit with her. She is rarely watching on her own. There is some interaction but it's hard to maintain it.
DeleteOne of our grandsons.....age 5 and an only child, has to have a screen in front of him while eating even if he is at the table with all the family!!! I do NOT approve!
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Frances & Stewart will ever allow that to happen. Awful!
DeleteWe endure Bing most of the time, and love Bluey the rest, older brother loves Minecraft, we do make a point of putting an hour timer on for TV, then it's play time. All 3 would sit and watch TV if we let them.
ReplyDeleteIt can easily become an addiction. This was not possible when I was a child.
DeleteHave a good holiday - I hope the weather improves.
ReplyDeleteI hope the forecast improves but a least Wednesday should be a good day.
DeleteIt's a constant battle with the screen situation. I don't know that there is an answer.
ReplyDeleteHave fun on your holiday, Neil!
ReplyDeleteWas Joni named after Joni Mitchell?
ReplyDeleteI think limiting screen time is a good idea, but I suppose it's no worse than television, and we all survived that.
I just retired from teaching middle school (11 to 13 year olds). I found that in the last 10 years or so, kids have been spending way too much time in front of screens. My school district provided them all with mini-computers. It was hard sometimes to teach them and keep them off of their screens! For some of them, it was like an addiction.
ReplyDeleteYour description of that Sunday dinner sounds wonderful. I gather you are an excellent cook but you know the ease of allowing Tesco to make that banoffee pie. I looked up a recipe for it where everything is made from scratch and realized I can let the supermarket supply me with the ready-made ingredients and all I'd have to do is slice a banana!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving your little tour around this part of the world, Neil. I can't believe that duck is still there; my lads were terrified of it thirty years ago.
ReplyDeleteNo need to publish this, but I've just had a sneaky pre-release viewing of 'The Job of Songs', and wanted to say what a wonderful, talented niece you have in Katie. Such a lovely film.