Too much media time is an epidemic that seems to be affecting kids and adults all over the world… and sadly, the Powell Pack isn’t immune to the problem either! A love of Xbox and Angry Birds has snuck into our home and taken over WAY too much of our sweet kids’ time. After far too many minutes spent with glazed over eyes and sore thumbs from bird launching, Chris and I developed the perfect way to combat couch potato syndrome: Time spent in front of video games is to be earned with some good ol’ fashioned exercise! A quick circuit, designed by Chris, earns 15 mins of iPad or Xbox time, with a limit of earning a total of 60 minutes a day. The workouts aren’t rigorous, but they’re just enough to keep our littles moving and stave off excessive techno time.
Cash LOVES Angry Birds (like father, like son!), so to earn his time on the iPad, he does:
- 7 running laps around the pool
- 10 push ups
- 10 squats
Matix can’t get enough sports games on the Xbox, so for him to earn 15 mins of video games, he does:
- 25 pushups
- 25 jumping pull ups
- 25 squats
- 400 m run
I love the idea of not only teaching them to keep electronics to a minimum, but the importance of making exercise a part of their every day lives too. The best part is they’ve learned to love the exercise as much as the time on their electronics, makin’ me one happy mama. 😉
With iPods, iPads, computers, phones, and video game systems becoming such an integral part of everyday life, it’s hard to keep our kids from spending too much time on their devices and get them up and moving, but it is so important in the fight against childhood obesity and setting our children up for a successful, healthy future. What are some ways your family limits media time and encourages outdoor play? Any tried and true methods? Share your ideas in the comments below?I would love to hear what works for you!
Xoxo,
Heidi
43 Responses
I love this!!! Our kids have 2 options to earn 30 min of electronic time.
Run outside for 3 min plus 30 sit ups or push ups
Or
3 reps of the following
10 sit ups
10 push ups
10 jumping jacks
10 burbees
20 sec wall sit
It’s not easy but it gets them moving and I feel like they ask less to have electronic time. Which means less times I have to say no 🙂
i think it’s a good idea, for me the children have to have done their hwk and there little chores. My 3 all do a lot of sport anyway and are always active so I don’t need to make them do more . Twins are 8 and both in swimming club so swim 3 hrs a week, Rebecca plays netball, and I take them to the gym and they do the kids Zumba, track and sport classes and swim too. William plays football twice a week, rugby, swims and school stuff too. They are in a prep school where sport is still s big thing my eldest who is 10 was in a swimming gala today, tomorrow has a netball match and Thursday a cross country event plus she dances 3 hrs a week, runs and swims too plus the school stuff .if only I fitted as much in I would be as healthy and slim as them, ally struggle with my weight since I had the twins, I have joined weightwatchers now and I do exercise ( which I have always done ) so here’s hoping x
I commend you both as parents! Myself, I HATE video games, but I know it’s a part of society now, and a mother of a 9 year old boy, it has become part of our life.
However “game days” are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Before he can play, he must do his exercises. He does jumping jacks, pushups, squats and now is doing strength exercises with the kettlebell. As much as I rather he go explore the neighborhood on his bike like we used to do, it’s just not the way it is now, especially since we live in such a metro area of a city. I’m sorry there was so much controversy on Chris’ post on the burpees.. but in my mind you are doing the right thing.
I just loved the idea of exercise. We have a 5 year old who loves watching videos. (Thankfully he is nit into games yet). We limit his media time to 60min per day. However we didn’t do any earning method. But I want to start it. My dad is a retired PE teacher and when he comes over he does some exercises with my son and his latest favorite is jumping jacks. And he likes to exercise with me when I do it at home. Lets keep them moving!!!!
Love it! There is nothing wrong with teaching kids about exercise, health, and well being. We do Crossfit/HIIT workouts with friends at their house and they have a kids Crossfit 3 days a week. Most of the kids who come love it. Well, that might be a strong word! It’s similar to how we adults feel. It might be hard, it might be hard work, but it makes you feel good to accomplish the workout. And those kids can drop 2-3 burpees in the amount of time that I do one! Great job, Powell family!
Heidi,
what a great idea. In my home of 4 little ones we have a system…
They reach have the potential to EARN 3 hours per week for ipod and xbox. 1 HOUR ftiday, 1 Sat, 1 Sun. These are earned 1 by behavior overall, 2 homework & school work completion, 3 bedroom cleaning. If slip on 1, they don’t have a day, if they miss 2, the lose 2 days. They have the potential to earn additional 30 minutes at a time doing special tasks that come up… laundry, the lawn, yard work etc…. During the week there is no TV until after dinner And bedtime is between 730/8. There is usually one show we watch each night as a family after dinner. After homework they can play outside, ride bikes, skateboards, whatever. That’s how we run our household and it’s helped. I don’t see anything wrong with the kids earning their time. You guys are doing a great job!
I’m not adverse to this at all, like some of the haters…but we just tell the kids go play outside. they run for hours like kids should. they go from bikes to rollerblades to football to hide and seek up and down the street with about 10 neighbor kids. love this neighborhood. they get to use their electronics a couple hours a week because they are respectful, loving, kind people that do well in their studies. I do think hide and seek sounds like more fun than burpees, but whatever works. every parent does it different and every one is going to have an opinion. I say if you raise productive, respectful, honest, hardworking members of society that’s all that matters. I also think that our obesity problem doesn’t so much stem from angry birds as it does from growing up and getting a job sitting at a desk all day while eating junk. I played Atari until my fingers bled as a kid and also maintained a healthy weight until I got a desk job and learned I really, really love donuts 🙂 I also highly doubt with Chris and Heidi’s example that they will ever have obese children. you can tell a kid to do something 50 times, but unless you’re doing it yourself and they see you, it doesn’t impact them like setting the example.
We do ours by not limiting there screen time but by really limiting the other time that they have open to use screen time. It works best in our house.
? You have read a book for at least 25 minutes
? All of your homework is completely finished
? You have updated your calendar and/or Homework map
? Been outside or done something creative for 30 minutes
? Straightened up your room
? Finished your chores
? Gotten everything ready for the next day
I Love the idea. We only let our kids play electronics for a very short time frame. The Love to come workout with us anyway. Plus they get lots of exercise being they in clogging and boxing as well. Staying fit is the greatest. I can’t emphasize this enough with our kids.
Love love love the idea…. saw the burpee video in the airport the other day and was like eureka!! We are going to be instituting a similar rule in our home this week… with one in baseball and one in softball and lacrosse we need to get more practicing in so we will be working that into the daily allotment