The School Offers Digital Curriculum

We train our kids at home so they can work out their own problems at school. When we virtually tap our kids on the shoulder all day, they miss opportunities to navigate and troubleshoot in their own world. Recess and lunch are precious minutes for our kids to spend socializing with friends. A huge problem for teachers is that kids are entertaining themselves on their phones during class time. This disrespects the teacher and cripples our kids’ ability to learn the material they need. Several teachers have told me they have simply stopped taking kids’ phones away during class, even though they’re distracting students. We don’t have parental support, one teacher told me. Parents can support teachers by training their kids that phones are not to be touched during class. Digital devices present a slew of distractions a click away, discouraging kids from deep, focused reading. When the school offers digital curriculum, ask if a hard copy is available. I asked nationally recognized elementary school principal George Petersen how parents and schools can create the best learning environment for kids. Children are designed to be nurtured and mentored by parents, teachers, and peers.

Don't Lose Your Heart

Meaningful relationships with people help children grow into the best version of themselves. Talk to your kids. Experts agree that loving words from a parent is the golden ticket for our kids’ brain growth and cultivating their educational potential. Build vocabularies, connect, help develop delayed gratification and attention spans. In contrast, screen time reduces talk time between parent and child. Ask your teachers and schools about the role technology plays in the classroom. Ask teachers if they’ve noticed a decline in attention spans, empathy, impulse control. Share some of what you’ve been reading with them. Studies show that less is best when it comes to our kids’ use of tech in learning. You are in the driver’s seat. The battle might be uphill, but your kids are worth it. Yes, there can be some great ways to use technology as a tool in learning as kids get older.

Got To Give It Up

The primary ingredient required in developing these fundamental skills? A present, loving parent. Let’s protect our kids, heeding the advice of experts and our common sense. But let’s make those decisions with information and caution, appreciating our kids’ vulnerabilities and the opportunity costs along the way. It’s no exaggeration to say that kids today are being controlled by smartphones and becoming enslaved by them. Exactly none are without friction. Some may be concerned that because of a specific facet of their family, a detox will not be an option for them. Welcome to myth busters. I’m your host and I would officially like to bust this myth. Working parents, single parents, foster parents, homeschool parents, parents with one child, parents with lots of children. I can’t blame them, and can relate to the struggle through personal experience. We maintain a strict tech diet for our kids. As much as I can, I work in the early morning, before our kids rise.

Do It Now

The benefits of keeping our kids from screens is worth paying a babysitter. Before hopping on a call or responding to an email, I sit with my preschooler for five to fifteen minutes, getting him started on one of these fun activities. Once he has the hang of it, I pivot to the work that requires my attention. This process is not always without frustration! What if my job doesn’t have this kind of flexibility? She could either give in to the children wailing for iPads, or embarrass herself on a conference call with clients. Instead of risking her job, she handed over the iPads. A few weeks later, she and her husband tried again, with new resolve. She did whatever it took to help her stick to their goals. On the first day of detox attempt number two, the older daughter was relieved to have a break. But younger daughter? She cried for hours nonstop. No wonder Mom was stressed! Tacie stayed committed to the family’s detox, despite her daughters’ protests and setbacks. After one week, I checked in with Tacie. Were the kids faring better the second time around? Did anybody get fired? The girls had stopped asking for the iPad altogether. It’s a miracle! she said. Once a week goes by, it seems to click. The beginning was a mess, a diaper storm of epically stinky proportions. But through sheer parental resolve, the concept finally clicks for your kids. Some sooner, some later. And when they do, you will see that it has been worth all the hard work it took to get there. If she allowed her kids to play anywhere with an open schedule, they would often argue or get bored. Instead, she explains to her kids that they will spend thirty minutes in the playroom, followed by thirty minutes outside, and then lunch. If an ornery child instigates conflict, Marissa removes the offender and has them quietly read beside her in the home office. Don’t forget about your big list. Especially when kids claim to be dying of boredom. Kinetic sand, science experiments, board games, choreographing dance routines. Make a giant batch of homemade playdough like our moms did when we were kids. You will be surprised how long children of all ages will play with fresh playdough. That squish factor is hard to resist. Don’t feel the need to make every activity an inherently fun one. Productivity can be its own reward. Don’t assume that just because an activity helps the household, your kids will hate it. Her girls stayed busy with this task and enjoyed the sense of productivity. There are dozens of helpful tasks like this one, waiting for you to assign to your kiddos. Use your detox window to teach your kids how rewarding it is to accomplish a productive household task. We are all wired for work. Tap into this innate desire in your kids, looking out for the kind of work they are particularly good at.