Technology and Children

Wild wallabies and curious children at Daisy Hill Koala Centre

Following on from yesterdays post, I have been musing about technology and children and how navigating these murky waters can be so difficult. I have seen it often with my friends and family, and I have used their experiences as inspiration in making my own decisions regarding the consumption of technology in our household. I know my children are growing up in a technological age, but I resist the possibility of them being sucked in to a world of video games and you tube clips. We are not without technology in our house. My husband and I both have smart phones, we have one lap top and one tv. However. we have no games on our phones and no games on the laptop. We have no ipads or ipods. We do have Foxtel (as part of our internet bundle) and Netflix - which is purely a luxury. So what they do get is limited access to the television, where they can choose which programs they want to watch.

What I have found is that my children do not miss what they have never had. While many of their friends are spending hours on computers and ipads each day, they have access to neither. Last year Cohen had used Reading Eggs on my computer for Prep, but he has out grown it now, reading chapter books instead. He has occasionally asked for games like minecraft, as his friends play them, but he soon looses interest in the idea.

I don't want for my children to be technologically illiterate. I know computers will be a large part of their future. But I also see how unhealthy habits develop quite young, and how important mindful carers are to ensuring children don't shun outside play in favor of virtual worlds of their creation. I'm quite sure that computer games have their merits, and that there are important lessons that can be learnt from them. But with a six, three and one year old, I also feel there is plenty of time for that in the future.

How do you handle technology in your house? 

Does the good outweigh the bad, or vice versa?

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013." Che and Fidel.

Cohen and Emerson: When play turns into cuddles

Despite being pregnant with our third child and looking forward to our family growing in number, lately I'd quite happily auction off both my darling children! The duality of Motherhood! You know I love them madly. And I have tried to remain patient. I have gotten down on their level. I have arbitrated their arguments  I have repeated myself two hundred times. I have bribed. I have rewarded. I have tactically ignored. But the list of misdeeds has been steadily growing. From Cohen wrapping an iron cord around his neck at my parents house and giving himself rope burn, to Emerson continually emptying the contents of any available drawer on to the floor - bathroom, bedroom, cutlery, pantry, fridge. From Cohen intentionally getting his face to within one centimeter of a hot electric frypan and almost giving himself a permanent burn mustache  to Cohen punching Emerson in the leg for not sharing. Not to mention finding the potty intended for Emerson full of an almost five year old's wee... 

Then there are the usual dinner frustrations, selective hearing, fake crying, whinging and tantrums. Sound familiar? And when it all got too much, I popped Emerson in the sling, handed Cohen his scooter and went for a walk. 

Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes I want to have a tantrum too. Sometimes I want to go for a walk by myself, but there is no one else to care for them, so I have to work through it. Sometimes I want to sleep in, shower alone, talk uninterrupted on the phone.

And then they cuddle and kiss and I melt. 

And despite the frustrations, there is just love.

And I can't wait to add another little mischief maker to our family.