Are you helping to create a dysfunctional adult?
In the hustle and bustle of this thing we call life, are we as parents preventing our children from becoming happy, self-soothing, self-regulating adults? Are we afraid of our children being bored so we stick a tablet, a phone, an iPod under their nose to solve their boredom? Is this a problem? Yes, we are doing our kids a disservice. We are taking away their ability to entertain themselves, to come up with a solution, to be creative. We are hindering their creativity. Yes, they are quiet and not in our way but are they able to create their own worlds and soothe themselves or do they always need instant gratification and something to take their mind into another realm?
By turning their attention to electronics, we end up spending less quality time with our kids. Less time is spent throwing a ball or wrestling around the living room. There is less physical contact and less relationship building. They don’t know how to be still and daydream and think of possibilities. This is not good for the brain. Constant stimulation rewires the brain and makes an addict.
We have moved to a child-centered society. Unfortunately, children are not mature enough to know what they need. That is why parents and caregivers setting boundaries is so important. It is time we stand up and be the parent not the friend. It is our JOB to set boundaries not entertain and provide children endless fun. They need to know there will be times when the day is monotonous and you can pick up a book, pick up the Bible, or simply meditate and daydream. Not every waking moment of everyday has to be filled with noise.
We as adults need to learn the same thing. Quiet time is priceless. It lets us decompress. It is time to spend more quality time with our children and less screen time. I believe this is the issue with sleep time in our teenagers as well. If I had it to do all over again, I would have limited ALL electronics and had phones turned in at 9 PM. As I have learned myself, a phone in the room ruins your sleep and creates bad habits.
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stephaniElearning View All →
I am an educator in every facet of my life. I teach early childhood education in the classroom and online as well as develop online training and professional development for employers. I also teach homeschoolers literature and homeschool my 17 year old son who graduates in May.