Geste at Home #5:

Geste at Home #5:\par
When do you use the computer? Do you set time-limits or any guides for yourself? Do you have any strategies for avoiding the computer time-vortex or the ignoring of other responsibilities? Does your particular placement of your computer help or hinder?

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Mostly, I use the computer when the boys are asleep – either in the afternoon, or in the evening after they go to bed. Sometimes I turn the TV on and use it while their brains turn to mush. I wish I had set time-limits for myself – it probably would be helpful. Fortunately, the placement of my computer DOES keep me from using it\’c3\’82\’c2\~all of the time, as it is in the basement far away from the places I’m usually working. It seems like I spend half of my day in the kitchen and dining room\’c3\’82\’c2\~- preparing food, serving/feeding meals, and cleaning up afterwards. I’ve often thought that it’d be nice to have a computer console area in the kitchen/dining room area, especially when we have older children using computers who need to be monitored, but for now it’s probably just as well that it is not easily accessable. When I have a book that I’m reading I tend to leave it open on the table and stop by for a few sentences.. which turns into a few paragraphs.. which turns into a few pages\’c3\’82\’c2\~- so it’s good that the email/internet is NOT right there in the dining room.\’c3\’82\’c2\~I have\’c3\’82\’c2\~no other strategies for controlling my computer usage – other than guilt, which has limited effectiveness. Thanks for the question, Mystie!