CCECC News
Kids Connection Article
January 20, 2012
Submitted by Lezlie Burkley
Our children’s world: experience it without spending a dime.
We are surrounded by technology – cell phones, IPods, TVs, Wii, and laptops. Whew! It is a new world that is exciting, sometimes over stimulating, and expensive. This is the world, the future, of our children. It is important to remember that children need to understand technology and be comfortable with it. It is also important that they see the non-technological world around them. Imagination. Nature. Relationships. The time to share or explore these areas are free, while technology costs.
What can you do to explore non-technological worlds?
Consider a technology free time during your day or week when cell phones are turned off and computers are shut down. Try it and see what happens. Read books together. In warmer weather take a bucket of crayons and paper outside and draw what you see. Have dinner together (without answering the phone) and talk about the best part of your day. Make cookies. Hammer nails in an old board. Take a walk and listen to the crunch of autumn leaves or new fallen snow. Play at the park. Throw rocks in the river. Listen to the birds. Plant sunflower seeds and watch them each week to see when they sprout. Go fishing. Play hide and seek.
Show your child that technology does not have to be a part of every moment and that time together is valuable. Let them see and touch the beauty of the world around them. Research shows that time outdoors and away from computers and TVs can reduce your child’s stress while increasing their creativity and curiosity. Your child can also benefit by improving coordination and decreasing the likelihood of obesity. There are some who say a break from computer screens may make kids less likely to need glasses.
So, turn off the cell phone, the TV, the computer for a brief time. Explore another world with your child. Enjoy the world that is at their fingertips, beyond keyboards and screens. It is free and it will make their lives richer.
Lezlie Burkley is the marketing coordinator for Chaffee County Early Childhood Council. For more tips on raising young children visit the Council’s website at www.ccecc.org or call Chaffee County Early Childhood Council at 221-5114.
