If you’re anything like me, you didn’t realize how dependent children were on technology until summer time. It seems like as soon as school let out all of their attention and energy went to something dealing with technology. Now don’t get me wrong, technology isn’t all bad, but I think we can all agree that it would be nice if our children were not so dependent on it. So today I’m going to share with you tips on reducing your child’s dependency on technology.
Back to the basics
Believe it or not but at one point in time, we didn’t have this much access to technology. We were able to not only survive but also thrive without it. I’m sure that you can think back on one of the best memories of your childhood and it’s likely that it didn’t involve technology. So, my first tip is to provide activities that do not rely on the use of technology. My top recommendation is a visit to your local park.
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It’s not all bad
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, technology isn’t all bad. I believe that children should have access to it when it is age appropriate and used in an informative way. That being said, the American Pediatrics Academy recommends that children not engage in any screen activity until they are 2 years old and for less than an hour. When children do engage with screen-based activities it should be of high-quality educational content. For older children, my recommendation is that you use technology for investigative and research purposes. We all know that children are very curious, so technology really comes in handy as a resource to help their inquisitive minds. As with all interactions with technology, supervision is highly necessary.
If you want more personalized tips on reducing your child's technology use you should be here
Tech-free zone
This is a fun one. Creating a space in your home that is off limits for technology. If you don’t have the time to create a tech-free space consider having a tech-free time, maybe during dinner or an hour before bedtime. If you want to create a tech-free zone I’d recommend including books, board or card games, and maybe even art supplies. Allotting space for a tech-free zone, for children, parents, and visitors shows your dedication to reducing the use of technology in your home.
Notice your own dependency
Okay so it’s easy for us to want our children to be less dependent on technology, but in order for them to do so, we have to be aware of our own use of technology. Being able to recognize and limit the way that we use technology will help model to our children the appropriate way to use it.
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Hi I’m Emily
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