Family topic

[Cas]

I don't have kids. I hope today's kids can be happy with so little to play with compared to our era. We here met computers and video games, but had a good dose of classical playing before... I think most of us, at least. But nowadays video games seem to be the only thing. Children are the only humans that know why they want what they want. Adults tend to lose that.

[Daniel3D]

It's a challenge to get the kids off screen. Also because we as adults have trouble laying the phone aside.
But my kids spend most of their time off-screen. Just old school playing.
It takes more effort to help them find there game, it's easy to let them sink into online oblivion but we don't want that.
We have found a line that makes the digital world an inspiration for the real world. It's incredible to see wat a 3, 5 or 8 year old can do compared to my youth.

[zaqrack]

@Daniel3D wonderful family! You are not the fist one with 4 kids - we had the legendary Krys Toff, who back in 2003-2006 managed to race very consistently and even attend the World Stunts Meeting in Denmark, already with 4 kids, while most of us were still youngsters without a family

Regarding screen time - all my kids are in Waldorf schools and we follow the same principles at home - no screens or electronic devices until they turn 14. Absolutely none - exactly for the reason Cas stated - so they can discover the world on their own, with their own hands. Of course for this to work we need a community where other parents also adhere to the same, so there is no tension between the kids. Sometimes it is very hard (especially trying to show a good example while my work is bound to the screen) but totally worth it. Their creativity and ability to discover new things is amazing - I truly believe they can later on contribute a lot to build a better world. 
And while they are growing up, they are doing well - e.g. this morning my oldest son was busy with building his own "treehouse" and setting up traps on the neighboring empty plot, my smaller boy (the dragon one ) was helping me doing some woodworking and then I cooked lunch with my girl a bit later.

Attached a pic of the full bunch

[Cas]

You guys have really beautiful families and I admire how you manage to protect your children's creativity!

Of course for this to work we need a community where other parents also adhere to the same, so there is no tension between the kids.

This exact thing I've thought of so many times and believed it was virtually impossible to achieve in the current world, but seeing that you can do it, however hard, gives me hope

[Daniel3D]

Regarding screen time - all my kids are in Waldorf schools and we follow the same principles at home - no screens or electronic devices until they turn 14. Absolutely none - exactly for the reason Cas stated - so they can discover the world on their own, with their own hands.

I really admire your choice in this.
We don't have the community to make a no screen concept work. (And I do believe that screens can have a inspirational and motivational function if used correctly. I'm also careful) we do look around for inspiration. We have Waldorf inspired playstand, balance board and slide in the living room. But we also take inspiration from Emmi Pikler and anthroposophical ideas.
The school we have chosen has a new and developing way of teaching. A (government required) solid base combined with a wide range of workshops.
I think we all thrive to find the best for our kids in the environment that they grow up in.
parenting unconditionally we call it. We set boundaries (of course) but they can choose their own path.
We will move to a new home next month with a bit more room. We will make a dedicated play room there. (No screens allowed) not that it will change much. But it will be nice to be able to walk around with breaking my neck over grimms and grapat toys 

[JTK]

Attached a pic of the full bunch

Hihetetlen - beautiful picture! Your older son reminds me of young Zak a lot, doesn't he?

[zaqrack]

Great to see you lurking around

Yep, he looks very much like me and behaves also very similar like me at that age with some slight but major differences of course (no interest in math that I had, but an amazing artistic talent my wife had). Things like that. So an easy job for me to be his dad, just have to recall my own youth. However, I'm dreading his adolescence. I was an awful teenager.

[Cas]

Makes me wonder, if hundreds of us were to suddenly become teenagers again and the world were full of second-time teenagers.... Would these second timers be more settled and careful or quite the contrary?  I find it hard to imagine XD  - I was a relatively peaceful teenager, also with an interest in math and other sciences. When I had to take them seriously, I didn't perform as well

[JTK]

Great to see you lurking around

Yes, I'm still there. Waiting for the moment... maybe I'll start racing again when I*m 64!  A Stunts pipsqueak stays being a Stunts pipsqueak.