Friday, October 18, 2019

Scribbles

Olivia’s tendency to scribble on her school work is known far and wide. When she’s bored or doesn’t understand what’s expected of her, she’ll spend her time doodling on the paper she’s supposed to be working on.

Math is one of those things she’s most likely to scribble all over. She hates math.

I get it.

But I’m also frustrated by her scribbling because it means she brings home notes to which Tom wants me to reply.

Why that man can’t just sit down and write a reply himself is beyond me. Oh yeah, that’s right, teachers only want to hear from the parent called Mom.

Whatever.

Recently, O brought home one such note.

When I got home, she raced to greet me, starting in one some Miraculous Lady Bug story or something like that.

I read the note and Tom called from where he was reclining on the couch with his foot propped up (can you hear the eye-rolling that’s going on over here?) that I needed to reply to the scribble note that Olivia was losing screen time due to her scribbling at school.

Guess when her screen time ban was starting?

After dinner, that’s when.

She’d been on her table from 3:15 until I got home at 5:00 but once dinner was over, NO MORE TABLET.

Can you guess why that was the case?

I’ll give you a minute.

That’s right. The timeframe for lost tablet time was set so that I would be home during her time away from the tablet.

That way, I would have to deal with her all evening, finding things for her to do.

“Go read a book.”

“Get the colored (collared?) pencils and draw something.”

“Get out of my face and find some Barbies to play with!”

Those were just a few of the things I said to her during the three hours during which she was not allowed to be on her tablet.

Did she bother her dad?

Not much because a much more fun target was home.

I do know that we have to set parameters for her. I know that we have to find ways to make the scribbling stop but damn it, why can’t at least SOME of that time happen when I’m not there to have to actively parent?

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