Don't get me wrong - I think there is some brilliant children's TV around. My generation had Watch With Mother [Andy Pandy, Woodentops, Bill&Ben etc] and my brother was in the first cohort of PreSchoolers to watch PlaySchool. Now they have CBBC and Cbeebies.
I am not the first [and won't be the last] parent to admit that sometimes you just have to plonk the child down in front of the Box,
to watch a suitable programme, whilst the grown up has a drink [tea, cola, gin...] and just recovers for 25 minutes.
But I am concerned that many littl'uns seem to have unlimited screen time. Maybe it was lockdown, and the struggle to keep the children happy at home when there were no play facilities available. It's hard work, but so important to engage with these youngsters, and not leave all the conversations to be one sided from the TV presenter, and all the activity to be watched, without interaction.
child and
such fun to be with. Jess [2] is developing amazing language skills and loves an audience to tell her stories to. She spent ages explaining to Grandad Bob about the ducks visiting the pirate ship. And Marion was told all about ballerinas.
Rosie brought her new origami kit when she came to stay, and had a lot of fun with Grandad as they folded one of the models.
She also built a model boat with him, out in the Lathe Palace, and taught Julian how to play the Shut The Box! Game**. None of these activities needed great skill on the part of the adults - just time, and patience.And the benefits are immeasurable - vocabulary skills, maths skills, developing creativity, building relationships...
What activities do the children you know enjoy doing, away from their screens?
Sounds like you really enjoyed spending time with the grandchildren and they obviously had fun visiting with their grandparents. I'm afraid I don't know many children these days. Two of my cousins have grandchildren, but they live in New York and in Florida so I have very little interaction with them. I usually ask their parents what they are into these days and get them books or toys at Christmas. :)
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DeleteAh, yes, time, patience, listening, conversation and attention! Attentive Parenting is so important.
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ReplyDeleteThe detrimental effect on screen time (be it television or telephone) has a huge impact on future learning and socialising. Having seen year 7's enter secondary school for over 15 years it is frightening to see the negative effect it can have. I am fed up with seeing children looking at phones/their parents' phones/tv screens in cars - and their parents looking at screens and ignoring their children. It is the way of the world but parents have a big say in controlling the amount of screen time their children can have especially as they are paying the bills!
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DeleteAgree with your views. How lovely to spend time with grandchildren.
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DeleteGoing on walks together and looking for things, e.g. scavenger hunts and trying to look for flowers, objects of a certain colour. Articulate is a great game for talking and describing as is 5 Seconds - or something like that.
ReplyDeleteAt school, we do a fun introduction task to a topic where we create these mindmaps of information on a new topic and stick them up around the room. You then get the ch on each table to number themselves and you call out a number. That number child then runs to the mindmaps and reads some information. They must run back to the table and tell their group what they read and the others write it down or draw pictures. They can go back as many times as they want in 1 minute. Once the minute us up, they return. You then call out another number and the process is repeated. The children have to aim to have as much info as they can. Once you've given each child 1 go, or 2, you ask a number from each table to tell you something they learnt, but not something someone from another table already said. They love it and it really helps oracy! Kxx
Walking together is always good. Your classes sound so much fun, K!
DeleteYour grandchildren are beautiful and yes, I agree. It is upsetting to see how many use, not just the television, but their phones to entertain their children rather than allow them to use their creativity in play and other productive pursuits. And it really is crazy when I see babies and toddlers plunked in front of the screen 24/7.
ReplyDelete👍 I know that you have done lots of work with children Terri, and I am sure you have many great ways to keep them occupied. I'm glad that children are allowed to be both seen and heard in our church services nowadays, not hushed, or sent to a Quiet Room
DeleteYour family do wonderful things together with the children. It's so important in many ways. I cringe when I see Mum's out walking with a toddler in a stroller and, instead of pointing out things to the child, Mum is involved with her phone. JanF
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DeleteChildren learn by what they see and seeing parents on their phones at every opportunity just reinforces that this is the thing to do. How lovely to see your grandchildren interacting with you both and thoroughly enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteEven back in the 1980's when mine were younger, television was just on at teatime and Saturday and Sunday mornings for the children's programmes, the rest of the time they played in the house, or the garden or once older further afield in the village. And reading at bedtime was always the way they got to sleep never in front of a screen the way my grandchildren have always known it.
Times are changing so quickly aren't they and not always in a good way.
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DeleteOld school Nana here.,My grandaughters are a delight to spend time with, doing the crafty stuff, the baking stuff when it rains and beach,picnics,castles and the like when the weather is good.The 3yr old grandson however is a whole different matter! I have no qualms about plonking him in front of his fave Batman or Transformer movie while I have a cuppa and a biscuit! And don't even ask me to take him to the park! He runs everywhere. I can't! Lego towers and reading to him are about my strength!
ReplyDeleteLego towers and reading sound good to me! When Jacob is 3, I shall be 70, and slowing up. Doing what we can, when we can is what matters. And I bet you have great conversations with all of them 👍
DeleteYes that's what matters, spending as much time with them all. I adore them all equally and the little one is just like how his father used to be and very sweet and charming with it!
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