Do as I say, not as I do is a recipe for failure when it comes to training children. Right now my kids are little enough I can get away with it, but it is a bad habit to start, and one that I am trying to be better about.
No one wants their kid spening all their free time with various devices. We want them to DO stuff, not just watch stuff. But often times we set an example... one that we don't want them to follow. If we want our kids to experience life, we need to demonstrate that it is worth experiencing.
I am not someone that believes our lives should completely revolve around our kids. I do not think I need to entertain them. I have plenty of other jobs pertaining to them: cook, maid, teacher, driver, police officer (LOL) just to name a few, and I won't add entertainer to my list. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, and I think it is important to interact with them, which I do, A LOT! I read to them, snuggle them, do projects with them, and take them outside, Yes, I do play with them, but not all of the time. Most of the time I leave them to play and I do grown-up stuff. Which is a good thing if what I am teaching them is that adults need to be productive (as in doing housework or productive hobbies). But it is pretty "unawesome" if I am teaching them that adults need their space to stare at screens uninterrupted.
Screen based "passtivitities" split our attention. We are not able to give focus to our kids AND our devices at the same time. Kids do NOT need constant focus, but when we ARE spending time with them, we should be respectful and pay attention to them, not make them compete with Words with Friends or whatever the cool kids are playing these days.
You will never look back and wish you spent more time with screens. You might look back and wish you had set a better example.
Check out all my Rules for Responsible Screen Time here.
No one wants their kid spening all their free time with various devices. We want them to DO stuff, not just watch stuff. But often times we set an example... one that we don't want them to follow. If we want our kids to experience life, we need to demonstrate that it is worth experiencing.
I am not someone that believes our lives should completely revolve around our kids. I do not think I need to entertain them. I have plenty of other jobs pertaining to them: cook, maid, teacher, driver, police officer (LOL) just to name a few, and I won't add entertainer to my list. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, and I think it is important to interact with them, which I do, A LOT! I read to them, snuggle them, do projects with them, and take them outside, Yes, I do play with them, but not all of the time. Most of the time I leave them to play and I do grown-up stuff. Which is a good thing if what I am teaching them is that adults need to be productive (as in doing housework or productive hobbies). But it is pretty "unawesome" if I am teaching them that adults need their space to stare at screens uninterrupted.
Screen based "passtivitities" split our attention. We are not able to give focus to our kids AND our devices at the same time. Kids do NOT need constant focus, but when we ARE spending time with them, we should be respectful and pay attention to them, not make them compete with Words with Friends or whatever the cool kids are playing these days.
You will never look back and wish you spent more time with screens. You might look back and wish you had set a better example.
Check out all my Rules for Responsible Screen Time here.
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