Watch This!

Our boys love to watch shows. They sometimes have questionable taste. We try to be careful about screen time, except when we are desperate for some peace then we give in. Usually, the rule is that to earn watching a show you have to read for as many minutes as the show is long. Pretty much that means 20 minutes. So we set a timer, they read, and then they get to go watch a show. Of course, once they've watched one show, they inevitably want to watch another episode. Remember when there was no Netflix and you had to wait a week A WEEK! for a new episode? Crazy. Anyway, they typically send an ambassador upstairs to plead their case of why they should get to watch another one. Lately, they've been sending Tobias. This is a smart move. Tobias is cute and charming and when you tell him "no" he crumples to the floor and makes heart-wrenching sobbing sounds. He's very good. The problem with sending Tobias is that he isn't great at relaying a message back to the delegates in the basement. When the answer is "no" he's often so distraught he just doesn't go back at all. When the answer is "yes" there are usually caveats. For example, "Okay, you can watch one more show if afterward everyone puts their shoes on and gets in the van so we can run an errand." or "Okay, you can watch one more show if everyone promises to go outside afterward." Tobias will smile at me at run down to the basement where I hear him shout, "She say yes!" Good job buddy. Nailed it.

They watched an entire show this way. Doesn't that look comfy? Also, look how clean that carpet is. Dang! That was a good carpet day.