Ha ha!! Love that blog - it describes my children to a T, but they also send themselves up about it, like Joel. 'iPaddy' - a perfect description. When I give my grandsons their tea after school on Mondays, my rule is no iPads until you've finished your meal. They are allowed to keep sight of them on the window ledge. 'But, nanaaaaaaaa.....!!' doesn't wash with me. They have games apps, but Minecraft and educational apps are very popular. TV is Cbeebies or the odd children's film or DVD, but not on that much. An hour of anything is sufficient, then it's chat, games, bedtime stories, sharing jokes, playing I Spy and learning what words rhyme.
When they are in my car and I have to check behaviour, the chant goes up 'ma car, ma rules!' with much giggling. Apparently, mum says that.
Staying over, I don't get much of the processed food they would like me to - they don't have it at home. I involve them in making wholesome meals, and they love making jellies and flapjacks, grating cheese, working the food mixer (my hands hovering), making bread, pizza and cookies, and winding pasta through the machine. They like the whole breakfast ritual of boiled eggs with cosies on, soldiers with butter on, and turning the shells over to claim they haven't eaten them. At home, they have bowls of mixed cereals from the dozen varieties that take up one cupboard! How did that game start?
I let them stay up an hour later if it's weekend and we have a few treats, but they want to go to bed because the dog lies on the landing wagging her tail at them, and they sneak her in to the bedroom when I go downstairs. It's become a game - the dog's loyalty to me disappears when they arrive.
Staying over is not better or worse, just different. I never expected my grandparents to have lots of toys - there was a kitchen dresser drawer containing cards, dominoes, crayons, balls, marbles and a few bits of things, and we played with her button box, which I now cherish, and her dog. The clothes airer and blankets made garden dens, and we went to the park. My grandchildren enjoy those things, too.