Much has been researched and written
about young children and how much (if any) screen time they should
be allowed to have at different ages. The information and
recommendations change daily as we try to keep up with the pros and
cons of the latest technology. But what’s not being written about is
the other screen time. That is; adults watching a screen while
caring for young children. Last year I took my two young grand
children to the park where there were a dozen or so other adults
with their children. I suddenly realized I was the only adult who
was actually watching the children and got thinking about the
consequences of “the other side of screen time.”
Don’t get me wrong. I love my I-pad and my smart phone and my
computer (all of which have allowed me to create and execute this
project), but with this technology comes huge responsibility. So
here are my thoughts on what’s not happening with our
children while we are on our phones, pads, televisions, and other
screens...
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BRAIN CONNECTIONS- Babies and
young children learn new things constantly throughout their day. And
when they discover something new the first thing they do is look to
their adult for a reaction. It is in this split second, when the
adult reacts, that connections are made. These connections build the
wiring in the brain. What happens when a baby keeps looking to its
parent or caregiver and no one is looking back, preventing those
connections from being made?
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FACE TIME- We know children learn
empathy by watching the expressions on our faces; concentrating on
our eyes. At six months of age they watch our lips as they begin to
try to figure out sounds and speech. The more they see and hear us,
the more they learn about language and human emotion. How much are
they not seeing and hearing from us?
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TALK TIME- Babies and young
children love the sound of your voice and the more they hear it the
more they engage and learn. When you simply imitate the sounds
babies make you stimulate brain activity. The amount of talking (to
babies) and conversations we have (with toddlers and preschoolers)
may be the single biggest factor in reading success later on. And
here’s another point about talk time. When our children hear our
conversations with other adults, they are hearing different
vocabulary, and gaining important information about our family
history, values, and culture. Adult screen time is time spent not
talking. How much time do we now spend not talking?
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WHAT ARE YOU MISSING- When you
are in the same room with your baby, but focused on a screen, you
are missing out on the best entertainment ever- the human being
discovering its world for the first time! Nothing is more amazing,
and miraculous things happen constantly. These miracles happen in
the blink of an eye, and you don't want to miss them!
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SAFETY- Last but certainly not
least, there is the safety issue. As I sat in the park and looked
around I realized how easy it would have been for a small child to
suddenly disappear. It’s hard enough to keep your eyes on your own
child in a sea of motion, let alone if you look away for five or ten
or twenty minutes…
Last year I was setting up for a concert
in a classroom at a large daycare. Most of the kids were outside,
but the youngest group was in the room. It took me twenty minutes to
set up. The teacher was texting the entire time as the one and
two-year-olds wandered around the room aimlessly. I purposely didn’t
engage with them as I was curious to see just how long the teacher
would remain “absent.” I was heart-broken at the missed
opportunities that hung so heavily in the silence. In a positive and
caring environment you would hear an adult say something like, “Oh!
You have a blue block! Would you like to build something? Let’s
build a house!” Well, you get the idea. When there is such a lack of
engagement it’s stunning. I’m sure the teacher wasn’t a bad person.
She was no different than many of us caring for children both at
home and in schools and daycares. We just haven’t thought through
the consequences of this new world we live in. We haven't thought
about what isn’t happening while we’re busy with our technology.
It’s not complicated, but it’s vitally
important- to raise happy, healthy, smart children, we have to be
present, and not just physically present. And that brings me back to
singing. Singing is so simple. It’s free. It’s available to every
one of us, regardless of income or education. We are meant to sing,
and when we sing with our children all of the things that should be
happening can and do! So the next time you’re caring for a baby or
young child, try putting down your device and just sing. You’ll be
glad you did, and so will your child!
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