Recently, some bad behavior in our house resulted in some days without screen time (i.e., no TV, no video games, no computer, no iPhone). While an effective punishment for the boys, this was also a punishment for me given the current state of affairs. Since I can’t leave the house and my mobility is limited, loading everybody into the car and heading somewhere fabulous for some fresh air wasn’t an option. I was forced to dig deep and think of ways to pass the time from within the confines of our tiny house with nothing more than a knee scooter and some crutches to help me. The days were feeling long and simply reminding the boys that they have a house full of toys didn’t seem to be having the desired effect.
That’s when I reached deep and pulled out my old teacher self…the one who knows the newness old things can attain once they haven’t seen the light of day for some months or even years. Teacher Me realized that–on the cusp of 7–Oscar is now old enough to play games like Monopoly and Scrabble–games I had been saving until he was old enough to do things like count money and spell. We pulled out Twister for the first time ever and shook the dust of the Jenga game that had been gathering dust in our closet for months.
We also pulled out some play dough made months ago and were pleased to find it still pliable. Sure these activities required a little more effort than simply popping in a DVD. They 
were also more fun, more engaging, more memorable. So…while I don’t begrudge myself the ability to do whatever it takes to simply survive this summer of limited mobility…while I was thrilled when screen time was restored; I’m also grateful for some days off the grid. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to introduce (and reintroduce) my boys to some of the classics. I’m glad that we took the time to appreciate the joy of rediscovering treasures that had been buried for far too long.
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