As a parent in this age, managing your kids’ electronic gadgets can be quite an ordeal. Children as young as three can be found playing games or solving toddler puzzles on a tablet or a smartphone most of their day. This does not only isolate them from those around them if they grow up to be attached to their devices, but it can lead to various health issues, including obesity, a very short attention span, and a multitude of psychological issues.
To prevent this from happening to your child, here’s what you need to do.
1. Use it for Edutainment Purposes Only
While spending too much time on a gadget is not something you should encourage your child to do, you cannot keep them away from technology forever. At some point, they will have to deal with it and if used correctly, gadgets can be quite beneficial for your child. You can ensure that the time your child spends using different gadgets teaches them instead of lowering their IQ due to mindless, addictive games. Edutainment is using entertainment, in this case, the gadget, to educate your child. One way to do so is to have your child listen to short verse nursery rhymes online; Humpty Dumpty comes to mind if you want to entertain your child while introducing them to good values at an early age. Believe it or not, nursery rhymes do have a purpose other than entertaining your child; they can learn different words and even pick up on different morals using such simple, enjoyable material. You can also have different educational games installed on the gadget to guide your child through learning new things instead of wasting their time and weakening their minds.
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2. Schedule a Time for Physical Activities
Of course, the mind is an important aspect to focus on, but you should not have your child spend a long time in front of a screen, even if they are learning something new. Set daily physical activities, preferably outside, in a place surrounded by nature, such as a park or yard. This will not only strengthen your child’s physical form and act as a preventive measure against obesity, but it will also bring your child closer to nature and have them appreciate the environment.
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3. Explain the Consequences
Children are quite smart, and love to be treated as grownups who can make a well-informed decision. You can make sure that your child makes the right choices and grow up to be a mature person by informing them of the consequences of spending too much time using a gadget. That isn’t to say you will have to guide them with rules and schedules to manage their gadget usage, but at least you can make them feel like they have a say in what is going on which will make them more likely to follow your rules concerning gadgets.
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4. Lead by Example
Think of it this way, if someone told you to stop a certain habit when you know for a fact that they have the same habit and have no plans to stop; chances are high that you will not follow their advice, even if it is sound. The same goes for your children. If they see you spending a lot of time using your smartphone and tablet around your children, they will never take what you are saying about gadgets being bad seriously. Leading by example means that the rules you set for the concerned gadget use apply to you as well. This will make them understand that you are not creating rules just to annoy them and in fact, you are doing so for their good.
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5. It’s a Reward, Not a Given Right
Teach your child that using a gadget is a privilege, not a given right. This will ensure a couple of things. You will instill the fact that gadgets are not a crutch to be used all day, which is important for their productivity. It will also teach them that they will not be getting what they want if they do not work for it.
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6. Monitor Online Activity
Sometimes, content can be misleading on the internet. What seems to be innocent kids-friendly content can be quite inappropriate for children to watch. You can also find various ways online to limit certain websites and to prevent your children from stumbling upon them.
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Using these six different points as guidelines, you can ensure that your child does not become a victim of technology misuse. No one can claim that technology is totally bad, but there should be limits for the safety and health of younger generations. Familiarizing yourself with the different methods to control the exposure that your child has to such tech is the first step towards raising a healthy child.
