If your children are anything like mine you know how it feels to watch them be totally consumed with their technology. I am sure you can understand my frustration and why I always end up sharing the following story with my children.
“When I was your age, we stayed outdoors. My mother would have to come track me down when the street lights came on and I wasn’t home. My best friend and I walked and socialized throughout the neighborhood. We jumped double dutch, played four-square, red rover and rock teacher. We sat on the school steps and laughed. We enjoyed the summer and our youth and created memories we still talk about today.”
For my girls, this speech goes in one ear and out the other. They are not that concerned with the “old days”. They find fun in their handheld games, laptops and books (the last of which I absolutely love). But I feel as though the times they spend in the house, they are missing something. They aren’t creating those same memories I created as I child. But should they? I sometimes think about the stories they will share with their little ones. So far, they won’t be able to tell the story I shared above.
I wonder if I am unrealistic in my requests and expectations. If they are happy, I should let them be, right? I know times have changed. I guess if I had the same forms of entertainment, when I was younger, as my children do today, I would probably display the same behavior.
I guess one of my concerns is getting them to be more active. The other is that I don’t want them to miss building those lifelong connections with others because their heads are buried in their technology. Unfortunately technology is quickly replacing our normal human connections and my children have both fallen victim to it. But, I don’t believe it’s too late. I am going to continue to push. My children may not understand the purpose of it now, but it really is for their own good.
So, I will continue to force them to get outdoors, play with the other children on the block and enjoy this special time of being young. I am confident they will thank me for it later.
BMWK, do you ever have to force your children to go outdoors to play?
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Children will always find ways to entertain themselves. They have to create their own memories not relive yours. If the issue is getting them to be more active then there are things you can do there.
Overall it is a different day. Things are just different, not better or worse. You can meet someone online and play games with them for hours on end. That’s building a friendship, just a different way. It’s actually natural for friendships to start online these days.
Actually, I don’t have to force them. Thankfully, we live in a neighborhood FULL of kids and my oldest gets in trouble for not coming INSIDE on time. But if it were any different, I’d want them to be outside to prevent any weight issues and have that “RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT, Duck Duck Goose” experience.
According to me the world is not the same. I would want to send my son to play outside but I would go down to just be around.