Our kids are addicted to technology. And let’s admit it, WE’RE addicted, too. We tend to live and breath with tiny, electronic devices always at our sides.
But what if your kids had an ENTIRE summer with no electronic devices?
Would they lose their minds?
Would they constantly fight and bicker?
Would you constantly hear, “Mom, we’re bored?”
Watch my Facebook LIVE video with my friend, Dalia, and learn how her family survives their “Digital-Free Summers” and get some tips on how you can do it, too.
Why Kids Need to be Bored?
Occupational therapist, Victoria Prooday, shared recently that parents should “teach delayed gratification and provide opportunities for ‘boredom’ as boredom is the time when creativity awakens:
- Don’t feel responsible for being your child’s entertainment crew.
- Do not use technology as a cure for boredom.
- Avoid using technology during meals, in cars, restaurants, malls. Use these moments as opportunities to train their brains to function under “boredom”
- Help them create a “boredom first aid kit” with activity ideas for “I am bored” times.
And iPads and smartphones aren’t the only electronic devices to blame. According to the World Economic Forum watching TV has a stifling effect on the imagination of kids.
In their post, they also tell us that “children need time to themselves – to switch off from the bombardment of the outside world, to daydream, pursue their own thoughts and occupations, and discover personal interests and gifts. It was also stated that “the wandering mind is more likely to come up with imaginative ideas and solutions to problems. So it’s good for children to not to grow up with the expectation that they should be constantly on the go or entertained.”
What do you think? Could your kids handle an ENTIRE summer with no electronic devices? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
