Picture it: it’s a lazy Sunday. You’re on your phone, your husband is over there on his phone, one kid is lying on your leg with the tablet, the other is playing a game on the computer. Netflix has been mindlessly on for two days straight, and the weekend’s almost done. What is wrong with this picture? Mindless screen time madness. There is an entire family sitting in the same room, having no interactions.

Admit it; we are all guilty of this scenario in one way or another.

Technology is a part of our lives, there is no denying that. You are raising your children in a technological age; they really know nothing else. As parents it is our job to guide them in a direction of balance. Balance between technology and real life. The two are very much interconnected, but there still has to be a balance. Living completely through the internet is no way to live, but living unplugged is not realistic.

This is a parenting peg that is newer to the board. So, of course there are going to be people telling you what is best for your child and if you are doing it wrong.

Push these ideas aside; sit down and have a conversation with your spouse. You can talk about how you want screen time to be incorporated into your family time. Talk about usage, mediums and even time when phones/tablets/computers are appropriate.

Once you have come to some sort of agreement have another sit down, but this time include the children. Let them know about dangers, appropriateness, and times they will be allowed to have screen time. You have the ability to let them feel like they are a part of this decision which can help in the long run. This will all be tailored in different ways depending on the age of your children.

This conversation can happen at a very young age because they are already exposed to media at a very young age. Let them know that your phone is or is not allowed to be touched, or which apps they are allowed to use. You have to set these boundaries to help guide media usage to be a positive experience for the both of you.

Remember to always be with your child during their screen times. This is your job as a parent to give them feedback on what is real and what is not. Give them quality media to interact with. This could mean finding games or apps appropriate for their age and developmental stage.

What the Experts are Saying

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use, except for video-chatting, by children younger than 18 to 24 months. If you want to introduce digital media to children ages 18 to 24 months, make sure it’s high quality and avoid solo media use. For children ages 2 to 5, limit screen time to one hour a day of high-quality programming. As your child grows, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work as well. You’ll need to decide how much media to let your child use each day and what types of media are appropriate.

Remember that you are the parent, and all of this is ultimately up to you and yours. Only you know what is best for your children. Take in the suggested information about media, and decide from there what will work for your family. Do not let others make you feel shamed about what you have chosen. By gathering, researching, and processing this information, you have already made yourself more educated on how to make this work for your children.

Ms. Brooke
Early Literacy Leader
Young Scholars Academy

“No dessert until you finish that first!”

As a mom you  always worry that your baby isn’t eating enough or don’t eat when they should.

My first experience with picky eaters was when I had to buy 3 different types of cereal for my son, 3! It does become hard and frustrating when your child simply refuses to eat yet don’t have the verbal skills just yet to tell you what they don’t want.

So how do you handle this?

The goal is not to get them to eat the broccoli today or tomorrow but to help them actually like the broccoli in the long run.  Some food may seems ” gross or nasty” with our kiddos at times because they are green. That’s where it gets hard. Processed foods are not the answer to everytime your child decides they don’t like it. This is a habit that can stay with them their whole lives.

Here are some easy tips:

• Start hiding vegetables in casseroles, spaghetti or their favorite foods! Pinterst has a lot of great info for scenarios such as these.
• Keep at it! Expose your child to one new food or food group at least 4 times a week. A child’s tastebuds change every 7 weeks, don’t be afraid to come back to something.
• Don’t let them fill up on milk. When giving your child this go-to, they rely on this and will refuse to eat. Save milk until the end of the meal or use separate from meal time.

Always be sure to consult with your child’s pediatrician when you have a picky eater. Like I mentioned earlier, eating habits kids develop before age 5 can follow them the rest of their lives.

Remember through this whole process that many parents have been through the same thing. Stand your ground and don’t give in; you’ll be helping your child in the long run!

Thank you for reading!

~Tenesha
Safety & Health Coordinator

Early Childhood Educator

…Or is it?

Who doesn’t like the cooing and ooos coming from a baby? They are first sounds that make a parents’ heart skip a beat. It is also so easy to get caught up into cooing and oooing. Yet, hold back those random sounds and use that sing song voice in a complete sentence.

At this point you’re most likely asking “What is with this crazy woman? What does she mean?” It has been proven that grown up conversation can improve and assist in vocabulary and verbal communication when the kids age.

The conversation at first will of course be one sided. You might even feel a little crazy explaining what you are doing while changing a diaper. But, when a child sees your mouth movements and hears your words they store those foundational components.

Deleting baby-talk can have far larger impacts past vocabulary.

• Problem soliving and making friends.
• More explorative and willing to try new things.
• Able to comprehend new concepts with ease.

We  constantly say “use your words,” but we must first give that base and expose our children to the correct vocabulary first.

So even as you are washing the dishes, walking through the store. Talk and talk some more to your baby. Don’t let those judging eyes stop you from building up that foundation for success.

Baby talk most of the time includes incorrect grammar and words that seem to be apart of a foreign language. We wouldn’t want an instructor to make up words and add random gooey sounds while teaching a new language, thus keep this in mind. So, we should be avoiding that same practice while talking to our little ones.

Speak clearly, concise, and with the correct wording for items. You’ll be grateful later in life when you child has a better vocab than you 😉

For further research on this topic and its vast amounts of benefits, read MORE HERE.