Okay, so my pediatrician recommended that Isaac be evaluated for a speech delay. I'm not worried. He's the third kid and gets across what he wants to but I'm not going to say no to a free two-hour in-home evaluation by two professionals! Apparently he should have over 50 words and be putting more complex sentences together. "Ready, set, go" and "Let's go!" don't count because those phrases are always said together and heard as one. Darn, those were my go to sentences to prove he's putting words together. So I had to fill out these huge pamphlets on all his verbal and social/behavioral skills. Man, that thing was thick!
So Isaac's been getting on my nerves a little lately. He has actually regressed in his eating so that he hardly uses a fork and refuses any and all kinds of meats. How am I going to get protein in this kid? He does like Activia Vanilla yogurt. Won't touch
greek vanilla yogurt. I literally emptied an activia container, put the greek vanilla in (he did not see this obviously) and he took one bite and refused the rest! Delicate palette? Who the heck knows but it drives me crazy. Yesterday he had the nerve to refuse a half of banana I offered him until he could play the kindle with one hand and eat the nana with the other. Are you kidding me? Is this some crazy episode of "Are you being served?".
As I was filling out the questionnaire I was feeling pretty good about most of his behavioral skills but then I realized I didn't really know how he interacted with other kids because I never really watch him. Other than the park where he just does his own thing the only time he's away from me with his "peers" is children's church and bible study. I'm told sometimes he doesn't do crafts but I've never really asked how much he plays with the other kids. I don't bother to sit in on that so I was a little frustrated to realize I actually wasn't sure how he was doing socially. But I told myself not to worry about it. Then we came to the verbal section. Ha! He was lowest on like almost everything. You know what's even worse? Instead of being convicted that the screen time is the culprit for his lack of development (this is what I am
sure they will tell me, can you sense the mommy guilt building up already?) I began thinking "where's the box to describe his SICK gaming skills?" and "I'm pretty sure he's the next Mark Zuckerburg, or James Cameron" and last but not least "I mean, these are MARKETABLE skills people, you don't have to talk or use a fork to be a programming GOD right?". Yes, well. . .
All this to say that as much as I am humbled to admit, yes his amount of screen time bothers me and I know it needs to be cut back. Convenience is the name of the game but what am I missing out on for the trade-off? Much needed and special interaction, I know. Time that I won't get back. When Isaac doesn't see the kindle for like an hour he will literally drop what he is doing and check all the common places for it to be. On the counter, in the diaper bag, etc. This is not the best habit. So tomorrow when we leave for my mothers house we will be sans electronics for the kiddos. So pray hard people, pray hard.
