Technology and Kids: 7 Ways to Unplug

 

While interaction with online educational games and apps can be a learning experience for our kids, the percentage of young children who are trading in picture books for LED screens has crept up to astonishing levels. A recent report by Common Sense Media found that over one-third (38 percent) of 0- to 8-year-olds studied had used a smart phone, mp3 player, video iPod, iPad or a similar tablet—and 11 percent of children used these technological trinkets on a daily basis.

Despite strong competition from gadgets, TV still reigns supreme, with a whopping 44 percent of kids under age 8 having tubes in their bedrooms. All of the children surveyed watch an average of 1 hour 40 minutes of television or DVDs per day, compared to 29 minutes reading or being read to—despite doctor warnings against too much screen time. “Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed their position that children under age 2 should not engage in any screen time, yet the data shows infants and toddlers are growing up surrounded by screens,” says James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. “This use data is an important first step toward understanding how the prevalence of media and technology affects the development of our youngest kids.”

So how do we make sure our little ones will grow up to be well-rounded adults, and not over-stimulated zombies? Here are some things you can do to make sure your child gets the down time she needs in today's wired world.

• Make crafts a part of every week. Crafts may seem like fluffy stuff, but cutting paper, crumpling tissue paper, and drawing all build the hand muscles kids will need for writing. While it may not be possible to squeeze a craft project into each an every day, commit to doing crafts at least 3 times a week with your child.
• Limit screen time. Setting family boundaries for TV, movies, computers, smart phones and tablets frees up precious time for family bonding. Detaching yourself from your iPhone may be difficult, but it will show your kids that mom and dad benefit from a tech break too—and are willing to practice what they preach.
• Grab a story and snuggle. Reading, either aloud to your child or along with her, opens her eyes to people, places, animals and ideas beyond the world of Spongebob Squarepants. Even if your preschooler isn't able to sound out words yet, hearing you read a variety of genres can broaden her vocabulary and foster a lifelong love of books.
• Take a time-out in nature. Unstructured play time is being threatened at school with the elimination of recess, which makes getting your kids off the couch and into the backyard more important than ever. Being outside allows children to relax, work out daily stresses and get in touch with their other senses—touch, smell and taste—that are slighted by TV and computers.
• Invest in open-ended toys. Television, DVDs and video games rob children of uninhibited pretend play by laying out a fast-paced adventure for them to follow. Rekindle their imagination with simple blocks, stuffed animals, colorful scarves, and unbranded dolls they can use to dream up their own world.
• Plan a tech-free family day. Schedule a day at the park, beach, aquarium or botanical gardens for the family, and leave the gadgets at home. Without the distractions of a smart phone, you will be able to give your children—and the experience—the undivided attention they deserve.
• Cook a meal with your tiny sous chef. Cooking skills may seem out-of-reach for your youngster, but participation in the kitchen is beneficial in a number of ways, even for toddlers. Stirring, measuring ingredients, and cracking eggs are safe ways to introduce the concepts of healthy eating habits, teamwork and basic math. Plus, picky eaters are much more likely to try dishes they've had a hand in creating!

It's impossible to shield your young child from technology on a day-to-day basis, but it's important to make an effort to show her life outside of life's small screens. Encouraging time away from the virtual world helps to keep your child relaxed, curious and focused on the things that really matter.

Celebrating Life

"Life is honestly like ...," said an employee of mine a few years ago. The sentence can not I write as a whole because it is a sentence that contains rough aspersion, containing anger and resentment.Joy and sorrowHe also thinks that all the positive smell which he had read, he heard, and he is doing is an action that inevitably must be made, because actually someone afraid to see that it's real life, is far from pleasant. "We wrap the hard life as a gift. Choosing wrap exciting, beautiful, and beautiful for a content that is painful. "Why suddenly in a morning I remembered the words of my employees? I was watching a movie on television shows. In one scene, a man expressing his opinion in order that people celebrate life, not just life.The verb celebrate used to show a positive activity, that brings a sense of joy, happy, fun, whatever the cause of the excitement, whether in the public or private nature.Example. Celebrating a birthday, celebrating the rise in class, position, celebrate weddings, celebrating liberation from prison, freed of corruption charges, free from the deadly disease, a country celebrating independence day, celebrating a win the tender, or the presidential election.

To my knowledge, regardless of any dictionary or book, nobody says, if it is celebrated with joy over the death of loved ones, even if a person knows that death frees one from an affliction. That is why, in such situations, people say I grieve.I also never read any one of her rape celebrate, celebrate a termination love, especially since the affair although perhaps after some time has passed, they can be thankful freed from the unfaithful spouse.I also never see people rejoice and celebrate the results of medical examination results is end-stage breast cancer, or anyone celebrating that she got more class, removed from employment, either because the company is experiencing difficulties or because of his own mistakes.Laugh and crySo what does it mean to celebrate life? If you only see the word celebrate, and the use of that word, should be celebrated is all incidents which only bring happiness, right?But what is the reality? Life doing it always has two faces. So what should we also celebrate the life that is also able to invite the arrival of disappointment and pain both physical and mental?Had we celebrate the pain, I did suddenly conceivable as being a sexual relationship is classified as sadomasochism. A sexual relationship in which a person enjoys a pain, both physical and mental, others are doing to him.Once I think so, I began to be frightened himself. Is this the real me like he was doing sadomasochism? Well this wonghidup often painful. But whenever it comes painful, my friends always say positive advice."You can learn from this pain, you can take a class with this pain, you can have a new experience, that if you can go through, then you can give strength to those who are experiencing it. Enjoyed it, I'll be finished. "So listen to the advice of glory, I feel no difference with those celebrating a pain as pleasure. If then it is classified as a sexual relationship that do not fit, then I am to be asked. Is it fair painful life, just because I can grade it? What more could a sentence that is wrapping class that makes it look a little pain "beautiful"?I got to thinking, so correct me if I'm on the staff had honestly think that life is painful and frankly as I did not want to hurt people. Therefore, I find a solution that reduces pain, and always strives to provide the antidote in the form of sentences, thoughts, and positive action.So what does it celebrate life, then? Does that mean my worth celebrating, which has the ability to wrap gifts beautifully, through positive thinking to a heart-wrenching scene, which was disappointing, which devastated?Or celebrate life, it would be to celebrate the courage to face the situation, and did not give the reason, without always trying to find an antidote. So perhaps, celebrate the life was celebrated ability to laugh and cry with no frills at the back.