Are your kids or grandkids glued to a video screen?
Experts will tell you to get those kids outside. Expose them to fresh air and encourage them to play with other kids face to face not via FaceTime.
When I grew up my best friend was Joanne. We spent hours riding our bikes or playing in one another’s yards.
We wanted to be together. We had no knowledge of online friendships.
Our house was next to the scout cabin in Grimes, Ca. It’s a big old log cabin kind of building. I recall many days sitting on the steps of the cabin waiting for Joanne and her mom to come home from a weekly out-of-down shopping trip.
We called each other on one phone in our houses. We set play dates for when we would play together (usually outside). We went for walks not for exercise, but for pleasure. We were doing healthy activities and didn’t even know it.
As we have progressed, more and more we find it unsafe to send our kids outdoors on their own. It makes us wonder when we lost trust in our world. Letting our kids play outside alone or letting them walk to a friend’s house alone. In most places, gone are the days of telling your kids to go play outdoors or to come home when the whistle blows.
Yet, replacing one on one time with friends or family with screen time is a mistake. It is hampering children’s critical socialization.
Think about it. Limit screen time. Get some fresh air. Life will be good today.