My 5-year-old son gets excited about waiting for me to get a haircut. That’s because it’s one of the few opportunities he has to play with my smartphone. I keep the choices limited to educational games, and his favorite is an animated Spanish vocabulary game. Playing on the iPhone is a rare treat, not an everyday indulgence. Both my kids are allowed to watch a few videos when we travel out of town, but not across town. Hopefully, they’re learning to use technology wisely, without being controlled by it.
There are plenty of real-life interactions to keep my kids engaged with people and the world around them. And it’s amazing the discussions we can have when we’re not glued to digital screens.
This article appeared in the December 2012 issue of
Thriving Family magazine. Copyright © 2012 by Keifer Williams.
Used by permission. ThrivingFamily.com.