Children with Gadgets

Hello everyone,

I've been thinking back to a few weeks back when I was having a conversation with somebody. The topic was about kids having technical gadgets like games consoles, kindles, iPads and so on. 

Going back to when I was a child, we didn't have all of these. Yes we had an Atari but that was for the whole family and I was in my teens by the time we got it. I had actual children's toys like Lego, Sindy dolls, and other toys. For the days that it rained or was too cold, I'd spend hours playing with these toys and I enjoyed arts. I'd do painting, making things and writing stories. 

I liked to play out on the street with the other kids on the street. There were skipping ropes, pogo sticks and that ball with the rope toy etc. It was so much fun and meant we  learnt how to be creative, socialising and getting the exercise needed. 

Another thing that kinda annoys me is when parents give their little kids kindles and iPads or even putting a DVD on for when they go to bed.. What?!! Bed is for sleeping, not spending an hour or two on these gadgets or DVDs. When it was my bedtime, I had a book! I loved this. It helped to relax me and settle me into bed, nicely. Reading is important for kids as it helps them to spell, focus their attention on reading (which helps at school to focus on the class work) and it enables them to be imaginative. 

One thing that isn't so bad is on iPads and kindles, the child can access online learning sites like CBBC but this should only be for approx twenty to thirty minutes at time. The rest of the time should be doing more active things that encourage exercise, interaction/socialisation, creativity and stimulation. I worry that these gadgets make the child lazy, unsocialable and dependant on a quick fix  entertainment. 

However, my views are only of my own and I know every family is different. Despite me not having children, you may think I don't know what I'm talking about but I have seen/heard this becoming the norm. I understand that being a parent is not easy, it's probably one of the hardest thing someone does but I hope that this post makes you think differently even just a little bit and think back to your childhood.