Screen Free Day!

Makena's summer bucket list included a day at home with no screen time. We don't really limit screens because they aren't usually a problem for us. Makena watches WAY more TV and has more time on the iPad than other kids we know, but she also doesn't crave or demand them as much. She will turn them off and go play when she feels like it, and she's learned so much that I see them as a valuable tool. She's not a child who doesn't get enough interaction from me, that's for sure! So, I thought her request to go screen free was interesting. I kept a (pen and paper!) log of how our day went-


7:30am I woke up, Makena was already awake and in the living room with Pam who was getting ready to leave for work.

7:45 Played with My Little Pony toys

8:00 Made signs and taped them to our phones, the laptop, the ipad, and covered the tv. (I cheated for 3 seconds just to snap this photo!)

8:15 Hadley woke up

8:20 Makena helped me make french toast for breakfast

8:30 Ate

8:55 Read to Hadley while Makena played with toys.

9:15 I brought out the wooden train track. Hadley just wanted to collect all the pieces and put them in a pile in her lap.

9:30 Washed the dishes while the kids continued playing.

9:45 Nursed Hadley, felt bored and wanted to check my phone. Hadley pointed at the TV and says "off!!" (meaning she wanted me to take that sign off and turn on the TV.)

9:55 We go out to the patio, I sweep and clean up while the kids play.

10:15 Gathered all the dirty clothes together to do laundry, told Makena to watch Hadley for a minute while I ran to the laundry room, but then realized we didn't have enough quarters.

10:20 Draw with chalk outside

10:30 Inside, Makena asked to play in the bedroom alone.

10:40 I start cooking lunch and see a text, fb message, and reminder alarm on my phone screen.

10:45 We have a pluot for a snack.

10:55 Time for an art project! We gather crayons and set them up with the canvas to melt in the sun.

11:15 Kids play with play-doh while I organize the craft closet a bit.

11:30 Nurse Hadley and trim her nails

11:45 Eat rice and lentils with green beans for lunch

12:00 Eat chocolate pudding with strawberries and whipped cream

12:10 Read books

12:15 I washed the dishes while the kids played in a fort

12:30 Go through the toy box and decide which toys to sell, organize the play kitchen food.

1:30 Nurse and rock Hadley while Makena plays in the bedroom.

1:50 Hadley's asleep!!

12:10 I lay her in the bed.

12:20 Makena and I do a ribbon wind sock craft.

12:30 Hadley is awake already!!

2:40 We all share an apple with peanut butter

2:50 It's too hot. We have some ice cream.

3:00 Play pretend restaurant

3:30 Rough housing a little on the floor.

3:45 Makena gives me a new hair style with lots of bows and clips while Hadley nurses.

4:00 Turn on the radio and have a dance off

4:50 Reading

5:00 Puzzles

5:20 Board Games

5:40 Get macaroni and cheese started for dinner

6:00 Eat

6:10 I hopped in the shower, but Hadley cried and tried to get in the bath the whole time. At 6:15 I got out and put her in the bath just as Pam got home.

6:30 Makena and I head out to The Cheesecake Factory to have some time together and for 1/2 price cheesecake day!

8:30 We get in the car to drive home. I can't believe the time, it feels so late!!

8:50 Get Makena in pjs and teeth brushed and in bed.

9:00 Hadley is asleep on Pam's lap, I lay her in bed and nurse her.

10:30 I get on the computer! Made it 24 full hours!!!!

Hadley's (late) 18 month old survey!

I did this with Makena at this age and wanted to get down Hadley's answers-
By 18 months of age does your child:

Motor Skills

• like to pull, push, and dump things Oh yes, Hadley has been pushing, pulling, and dumping for months!!
• pull off hat, socks, and mittens Yes!
• turn pages in a book Yes!
• stack 2 blocks She can stack more than 2 blocks.
• carry a stuffed animal or doll Recently yes. She likes to pretend to nurse them.
• scribble with crayons Yes! She takes them to the sliding door to scribble there.
• walk without help She's been walking since she was 9 months old, lol.
• run stiffly, with eyes on the ground No. She runs quickly and very steadily!

Sensory and Thinking Skills

• identify an object in a picture book Yes!
• laugh at silly actions (as in wearing a bowl as a hat) Yes! She's a very silly giggly girl!
• look for objects that are out of sight Yes!
• put a round lid on a round pot Yes!
• follow simple 1-step directions Yes! 
• solve problems by trial and error Yes! Though sometimes she gets frustrated and asks for help.

Language and Social Skills

• say 8-10 words you can understand Yes!
• look at a person who is talking to him Yes!
• ask specifically for her mother or father  She says Mama, for Pam, alllll the time! She doesn't say Mommy.
• use "hi," "bye," and "please," with reminders Yes! "hi" and "bye" on her own!
• protest when frustrated Sometimes. 
• ask for something by pointing or by using one word Yes!
• direct anothers attention to an object or action Yes!
• become anxious when separated from parent(s) No. If she gets upset when one of us leaves, it's usually just because she wants to go out too.
• seek attention Sometimes. She usually already has our attention though. ;)
• bring toys to share with parent Yes!
• act out a familiar activity in play (as in pretending to take a bath) Sometimes.
• play alone on the floor with toys Oh yes!
• compete with other children for toys Not really. If someone has something she wants she will usually whine for it, but it's generally easy to distract her or have her wait for a turn. She's VERY good at sharing!
• recognize herself in the mirror or in pictures Yes!
• seem selfish at times Selfish? I don't know? She's a toddler. Aren't they all selfish at times?

By 2 years of age does your child:

Motor Skills

• drink from a straw Yes!
• feed herself with a spoon Yes!
• help in washing hands Yes!
• put arms in sleeves with help Yes! She even does it all by herself sometimes!
• build a tower of 3-4 blocks Yes.
• toss or roll a large ball Yes!
• open cabinets, drawers, boxes Oh yes!
• operate a mechanical toy Yes!
• bend over to pick up a toy and not fall Yes!
• walk up steps with help Yes! She can walk up steps without help as long as she can hold on to the side.
• take steps backward Yes!

Sensory and Thinking Skills

• like to take things apart Yes!
• explore surroundings Yes!
• point to 5-6 parts of a doll when asked Yes!

Language and Social Skills

• have a vocabulary of several hundred words I don't know, I need to make a list of the words she says.
• use 2-3 word sentences Sometimes, she will say "shoes. go outside." "more berries" "oh no pee pee" stuff like that
• say names of toys Some of them. ball, kitty, book, baby, blankie...
• ask for information about an object (asks, "Shoe?" while pointing to shoe box) I think so
• hum or try to sing YES!! She's been singing "Let it go!" for a while now! Plus "itsy bitsy spider" and "twinkle"
• listen to short rhymes Yes.
• like to imitate parents Yes, but mostly she imitates Makena!
• sometimes get angry and have temper tantrums A little. Mostly because she wants to go outside.
• act shy around strangers Sometimes.
• comfort a distressed friend or parent Sometimes. She's always concerned when Makena cries.
• take turns in play with other children She mostly watches them or plays on her own.
• treat a doll or stuffed animal as though it were alive Sometimes.
• apply pretend action to others (as in pretending to feed a doll)Yes.
• show awareness of parental approval or disapproval for her actions Yes.
• refer to self by name and use "me" and "mine" No.
• verbalize his desires and feelings ("I want cookie") She can tell us "go out!"
• laugh at silly labeling of objects and events (as in calling a nose an ear) Not really.
• enjoy looking at one book over and over Yes!
• point to eyes, ears, or nose when you ask Yes!