"Pause My Time!"

This little phrase is a daily expression at our house, along with "Start my time!".   The "time" is 20 minutes that the kids get on the computer, or iPad, or iPhone.  That is our deal about how much screen time they each get.   So- if they have to take a bathroom break, or get interrupted somehow and need to stop - they yell  "pause my time".  I was struck the other day about how much meaning that phrase has here at our house, and how vigilant they are about getting their full 20 minutes.  They can earn extra time by playing outside- when they go out by their own choice...10 extra minutes for each hour of playtime out of doors.    The amazing part to this collaboratively created system is that the buy in is great.  Everyone does it.   It is a system that works.   That doesn't mean there aren't issues from time to time when their time is up...but 90 % of the time it is a highly successful agreement.