A very common scene among households is parents shutting their kids down by shoving an iPad or a mobile phone on their face. Every time a kid throws a tantrum, the parents rush to calm him down with technology rather than actually deal with the problem.
We’ve seen many parents proudly show off their kids’ forte in handling technology. “Look at my 2 year old handle the iPad” is a popular phrase. While we’re not completely against technology, we just want to make sure that kids don’t miss out on other things solely because of this.
So here are a few tips and tricks to balance your kids’ lives. Let them learn about technology but let them also explore other interesting options around them. Let’s encourage a few tantrums and not shut them up the moment they act up.
Don’t give in to their tantrums
The next time your kid starts troubling you, don’t give him the iPad immediately. As much as it pains you to let your kid cry, bear with them for a while. The more you ignore them, the more they tend to get distracted by other things. Tantrums only continue if you give it a lot of importance. Try to divert them to interesting outdoorsy things like gardening or encourage them to make something out of waste. Let them explore the world around them than be glued to a digital screen.
Allot some technology time
Make it very clear to your kids that they’ll only be allowed to use their gadgets for an hour a day, two at most. Start from the beginning – don’t wait till its too late to enforce this. Think about fun activities for them to do after their one hour with technology is up. It’s up to us to make their lives interesting enough that they don’t feel the compulsion to go back to their gadgets.
Explore and enjoy
Encourage your kids to pursue what they’re interested in. If they show an interest in cooking, bring them along to the kitchen and see how you can nurture that habit. Sit them down and introduce them to creative options that will trigger an interest in them. If all fails, take them outside, let them run free and connect with nature.
Stop glamourizing technology
The next time someone boasts about how well-versed their kids are with gadgets, don’t read too much into it. While it’s true that kids are smarter when it comes to tech, there are other things to keep in mind as well. Stop comparing them to others and focus on your kids’ unique interests and characteristics. Don’t force them to be part of the rat race and push them to be addicted to tech. Peer pressure is a dangerous thing – don’t fall victim to it.