Amid all the bashing going on regarding television time and kids stuck with their tablets and smartphones, I still strongly believe that parenting goals can be achieved better with the help of technology.
“Kids are just addicted to screen time these days”, “they don’t show any interest in real stuff”, “screen time also causes attention related disorders” and the list goes on.
As a parent I have been there and I hear you. Surprisingly it is as false as it seems true. Children are hardwired to do things with an absolute focus and dedication. They will repeat till they master it. And that’s what is happening when your little one comes home rushing to grab that game or watch that cartoon. He wants to learn, he wants to master it by playing again and again. This trait will be seen wherever you take them. When you go to a park they will be on monkey bars every single time. When you allow them to paint they want to do that everyday. Same goes with reading and other board games.
So what makes us turn to that screen time? It is because we are short of ideas to keep our curious minds engaged. Here is where our technology help us turnaround the situation. Instead of turning on those devices for them to watch educational videos, we as caregivers must allot 15 mins of our day to learn something new and teach our kids the same. Yes you heard me, just 15 minutes. Hop on to your search engine and look for keyboard lessons online otherwise learn a new language app.
The list can be stretched to science projects, drawing lessons, religion, math, gardening and so on. The best thing is, most of them are available for free through blogs, youtube videos and other websites. All we have to do is patiently learn and then teach. I agree there is a plethora of advice on parenting these days. But what I believe is the most important thing in parenting is to give our best and set a path for our children to strongly believe in self development and continuous improvement.
So that was all about our munchkins, now here comes blessing in disguise. Parents are hardwired to go an extra mile for their children. And that is why so many books, blogs and videos on parenting goes so much viral. We just want to know what to do and most of the time we implement it. So when you make use of free online resources to learn something new to teach your little one, you in the process learn something for the first time too. And I bet this will have a huge positive impact on your brain and life as a whole. You will be surprised to discover your inner potential in music or will be amazed with all the knowledge you gain in the field of science or religion.
So what are you waiting for? Start now and make use of your technology to develop yourself and your family all at the same time.