As you might have guessed, we are against letting an, at the cheapest, $500, 1.5 pound-screen define your parenting abilities. We can’t count how many adverse developmental effects of excessive iPad usage have been talked about, but believe us when we say it’s not right. We’re talking things like speech delay, obesity, and psychological disorders.
We’re here to make sure that we open the eyes of parents everywhere that sometimes old-fashioned is good:
Sports
Either find a sport your child could enjoy inside your home, or enroll them in a sports class like swimming or soccer, as many moms have recommended. The incredible fact about sports is that it provides learning on both the physical and emotional aspects. Your child’s attention will be kept only because you’re introducing a new concept wherein their body will be engaged. They’re going to learn how to listen, imitate, follow the rules, and wait for instructions. “In the short run, young athletes get to have fun running, throwing, kicking, jumping, turning, or whatever a sport has to offer, which means they are physically active. Many sports are played outside, which further promotes their overall health.” says Jim Taylor Ph.D. He adds “These benefits are especially important these days where far too many kids are spending far too much time indoors in front of a screen.”
Find neighbors and relatives who are also interested in involving their kids in sports programs. It’ll be great for you to have people to carpool with and chat while the kids are doing their thing.
Arts & Crafts
For those parents who aren’t so keen on leaving their homes or having to watch their kids to not hurt themselves, we can thank our ancestors for introducing arts & crafts. It’s a great alternative to the usual plastic toys because your child learns about their ability to create. The feeling of being able to translate what they’re thinking into something their eyes can see will extraordinarily keep their attention. Susan K Perry Ph.D. wrote “Teach them to keep an open mind about what creativity is and what art can be. Even if they don’t choose to pursue art as a career, such open-mindedness will help them in so many ways.”
Join them, or have the whole family join them, and encourage them to explore different techniques, even if it means getting messy. It’ll teach them to communicate & have fun while doing it!
Movies
Here is where we give you a half-and-half about the least effort alternative technique to handing your kid an iPad, and that is to put on a good movie on your home TV. It provides a more controlled environment for your child because you can decide what to play on the TV, instead of giving them full authority to do whatever they want. Choose good movies! Read as many reviews as you can, especially if they’re kid-friendly for your child’s particular age.
Try looking for singing and dancing videos for your kid as well. You can find a lot online or check out some singing and dancing for boys and girls xbox games. This is to encourage them to get up and move around, so they know better than to sit all day. Nate Kornell Ph.D. advises that “If you want to be good at something, the first step is to try a lot of things. Be patient and let something you’re good at choose you. This is true for everything where performance matters; instruments, sports, academic subjects, and so on. Even occupations.”
We know that having iPads for your kids makes your life infinitely more comfortable, because, in places outside your home like the supermarket or the mall, it becomes your best chance at avoiding a public spectacle from your children. Once in a while is alright, but remember to balance it with all the alternatives today’s world provides.
Get them to speak, get them to interact with people, get them to do something active everyday to help ensure the best development for your child. They will surely be thankful in the future once they are reaping the benefits of being not dependent on iPad.