Summer is coming and with it the promise of exploration, adventure and fun! Summertime gives kids everywhere a chance to take a break from the school year routine and experience a more relaxed, unhurried, less structured few weeks.
What’s to prevent a child from experiencing a much needed unhurried pace? Something that might be overlooked, especially by working parents, is kids, rather than parents, determining their own technology use time.
Pediatricians and other experts have sent strong warnings to the public that too much technology use (more than 2 hours a day) can result in negative behaviors and impact normal brain development. Given free reign to decide, studies show that children of all ages will spend up to 9 hours a day on technology – well over the limit of what experts recommend.
Recently, there has been a public outcry holding social networking companies responsible for our growing technology addiction. While those who have been encouraging this addiction attempt explain away or, in some cases, find solutions, parents can take charge. By limiting screen time, unplugging, and participating in fun activities kids will have greater opportunity to make the most of their summerbreak.
Set some summertime technology use goals ~
- Similar to a family tech use contract, make a summer tech use plan. List all the devices in the home, who uses them, for how many hours/day and prioritize health and well being over technology use.
- Everyone pitch in and take responsibility for daily chores.
- Read books together and play games.
- Take tech free walks, hikes or trips.
- Technology is part of our lives so rather than forbid it, limit it or save it for the end of the day.
- Each person in the family tell a story and use technology to make a movie, illustrate, or retell the story in their own words.
- Let your kids know it’s ok to be bored, daydream and be a kid.
