<p>My relatives arrived this afternoon for Thanksgiving. My just-retired teacher sister noticed that there were NO bored and irritated children running around and NO parents interacting with their kids to keep them from running around bored. …they were all glued to screens.</p>
<p>My kids still prefer running around and playing board games with their cousins over being glued to their video/phone/computer screens; they can usually get buy-in from the cousins who are teens and older (my kids are 23 and 25). The younger cousins (ages 12 and under) prefer to tune out people and turn to e-entertainment.</p>
<p>Having kids/people glued to ANY screens can’t be a great thing for socialization and all the other things that cultivate friendships and relationships.</p>
<p>“they were all glued to screens.”</p>
<p>Ugh, just ugh.</p>
<p>^This is what I have seen too, time and time again. </p>
<p>So how are we all going to handle this when we are grandparents? It is going to be really hard for me to bite my tongue if my kids and their spouses don’t have the same concerns I do.</p>
<p>^^ We’re going to bite our tongues the same as we do for every aspect of child rearing. From swaddling, formula vs. breast, schedule or no schedule, immunizations, day care and potty training. It’s their turn now and unless I am asked, I shut my mouth.</p>
<p>@Limewine, I consider my self tech savvy, and I plan on keeping any children I may have away from tech until they are cognitively developed enough to keep their tech use in check.</p>
<p>Before I was in Grade 1, I don’t ever recall touching a computer or device. I agree that young kids should stay away from the devices and learn to interact with people first. Siri doesn’t count.</p>
<p>I think that this advice is exaggerated. There is nothing bad in media and information technologies, even for the babies. The only important thing to keep in mind is temperance in using them.</p>
<p>Everything should be used at the proper age. Tablets are generally made for the younger and adult generations and not for children. But, in this modern technical world, you can’t deny children using it.</p>
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<p>We are going to offer alternatives. We will make play dough, take walks around the block, ride bikes, finger paint, play in the mud etc.</p>
<p>I know how I raised my kids and I can’t imagine them plugging their kids into an electronic device. If, for some reason they marry and procreate with someone who has different values, well then… tablets will magically get lost or left at home when I’m around. Strangely, TVs and computers won’t work (flip the darn breaker switch!). Smart phones will end up buried under the seat cushions in the couch.</p>