Last night Todd came home from one of his priesthood meetings and talked to me about how technology is not all that great for kids to have. They learned that missionaries (100's of them) are being sent home from their missions because they can't be "unplugged" from the internet and technology. Texting, emails, internet, facebook, iphones...you get the idea. We have a son with the same problem--although I tend to refuse to see it as a problem. Payton loves the internet and loves playing games. We don't have a nintendo, wii, playstation....NOTHING! so I thought the computer was a fine way for him to get into the gaming scene. I don't even allow them to play games where they are killing other people (aliens? fine! People? NOPE!) We don't have cable so we are only able to watch movies. I thought we were doing pretty good as a family. Apparently, I'm not doing good enough.
I know plenty of kids that have cell phones {of their own} and are constantly texting {yes, it drives me nuts but I thought maybe it's because they're faster than me so I was jealous?}. Todd and I have decided that our kids will not have their own phones until they are able to buy one for themselves. I talked Todd into getting a "family phone" for when they are old enough to go out with friends and might need a ride somewhere, but he helped me see the wisdom in not allowing it to have texts because of the picture texts that kids are sending now a days. It got me to thinking about my family and all the ways I should be planning to protect my family from all the crap that is out there...{yes mom, I said CRAP! because that's what it is}
Todd also told me we should be not just be reading the scriptures but studying them every day. He asked me how many books I have read in the last month {I have been on a reading spree lately}. After counting them up I figured I had read 9 in the last 2 months. Then he asked how many times I had picked up my scriptures. Talk about putting me in my place.
So what does this have to with "feeling productive"? This morning, while the kids were still sleeping, I opened my scriptures and read...Which in turn made me want to go to the temple this week. Then I got laundry started, beds stripped, journal written in (it had only been since MARCH! AAAHHH!! I used to try writing once a month) garden harvested and sprayed from those nasty squash bugs, kitchen cleaned and one load of laundry folded and put away {that's usually the worst part of laundry for me...folding and putting away}. Not every day is like this but it's good to know if I put first things first, there can be time to get everything done that needs to be.
