Skype gripe
Two of my five children are addicted to Skype. They get home from school and then Skype the same friends they just said goodbye to on the train 30 minutes earlier.
Lately I've been struggling with the concept that there are usually two extra children in my house at night. Note that I have not written that I've been struggling with the concept of my children spending hours on the internet - I gave up worrying about that about a year ago for the sake of my sanity. Last night I was standing in the kitchen eating a toasted sandwich while I picked my nose and read the newspaper. A large glass of wine was within easy reach. George (12 years) walked out into the kitchen with his computer in one hand chatting away to his friend while he got himself a drink from the fridge. When I looked up his classmate was staring straight at me out of the little window in his screen.
My house is a pigsty mid-week. Crap everywhere. I'm sure these friends don't care, but they get a guided tour of my filth as the kids walk from room to room with their online friends.
A week ago, I walked into a room the two offending children (12 and 13 years) share. The kids have all been spending a bit of time sleeping in my bed lately. They've all been playing a game called Slenderman online which has spooked them badly. Anyway, I was yakking away telling them that neither of them were to sleep in my bed that night if they got scared. "Jump into each other's beds for God's sake" I said to them, "I'm sick to bloody death of having you in my bed at night!" Both of them were horrified. They were both having Skype conversations with their friends.
Lately I've been struggling with the concept that there are usually two extra children in my house at night. Note that I have not written that I've been struggling with the concept of my children spending hours on the internet - I gave up worrying about that about a year ago for the sake of my sanity. Last night I was standing in the kitchen eating a toasted sandwich while I picked my nose and read the newspaper. A large glass of wine was within easy reach. George (12 years) walked out into the kitchen with his computer in one hand chatting away to his friend while he got himself a drink from the fridge. When I looked up his classmate was staring straight at me out of the little window in his screen.
My house is a pigsty mid-week. Crap everywhere. I'm sure these friends don't care, but they get a guided tour of my filth as the kids walk from room to room with their online friends.
A week ago, I walked into a room the two offending children (12 and 13 years) share. The kids have all been spending a bit of time sleeping in my bed lately. They've all been playing a game called Slenderman online which has spooked them badly. Anyway, I was yakking away telling them that neither of them were to sleep in my bed that night if they got scared. "Jump into each other's beds for God's sake" I said to them, "I'm sick to bloody death of having you in my bed at night!" Both of them were horrified. They were both having Skype conversations with their friends.
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