How To Raise Kids In The Age Of Smartphones, Tv And Internet.

Technology is the most updated thing in the world right now . Living without technology is absolutely impossible in today's world. Whether it means to checking your emails or responding to text messages /WhatsApp , life is incomplete without technology .

Smart phones /TV and Internet have become one of those part of our lives that we can't do without .Raising kids in the age of Smartphones/TV and Internet can be quite challenging as it disrupts their studies , has an effect on their eye sight which further more can lead to serious problems in the long run. ‘Let’s look at some innovative ways of raising kids while we have/use smartphones /tv and internet around .

• Keep a tab on your usage : It's important to keep a tab on the number of times you swipe your phone or the way you use tv/ internet as children tell to follow exactly what their parents do. My 8 month old loves my cell phone ,the most in this world. Since I realised it was making things difficult for him and me, I tried to low down the usage and I was successful. So it's important to limit the usage of these devices for carefree and holistic development of your child .

• Engage your children : In order to keep kids away from technology, you need to keep them engaged . For infants and toddlers, you should get them toys and let them innovate on their own. For primary school kids , you should engage them in story telling, baking ,drawing ,playing (based on their interest). For High school kids, the best option would be studies and following any kind of sports /hobby. This would not only boost up the kids confidence , it will also make them more happy and energetic for the most time .

• Learning time is good time : It's important to introduce your children to the positives of technology. For instance , you could play rhymes for babies on the internet/smart phone and they would learn new things . In terms of kids, getting them to watch informative channels would be a good idea. They would not only learn new things however in some cases, they would also develop good habits and good values. Channels like discovery , National geographic are really good for kids to know good information about the society and the world .We can't deny that children know a lot of information through technology. We just have to make sure that they are accessing it in the right manner .

• Keep track of Screen Time : As per babies and toddlers, there should be zero screen time and when it comes to kids, they should not have screen time of more than 30 minutes. Sitting in front of the TV for long , effects children' s eyes and their concentration power turns low .Too much of screen time would keep the kids less interested in other hobbies and it will affect their physical wellbeing .

• Outside play is of utmost importance : You should inculcate kids to play outside for an hour outside everyday . Take them to the nearest park and let them play with kids around. They will soon play various games and choose the best game they like . This way they will use less smartphones/TV and Internet. With technology being around so much, children spend less time outside. To raise happy and healthy kids , involve your kids in outside play .

• Rules for using technology: There should be rules for every one in the house who uses technology. For instance, a corner of the house can be kept as no tech zone and no-one in the house should be allowed to use either smart phones/TV and Internet that time .Instead keep your kids busy by involving them in baking their favourite dish. You could have your kids favourite pizza day or favourite cupcakes day and you can teach your kids to mix and bake. This would only keep them occupied ,infact they will enjoy the activities .Who knows ,these kids end up liking baking and turn out to be good chefs in the future .

• Keep a day off Tech devices : Its important to rejuvenate yourself and your kids once a while so the best thing would be to keep a day off for picnic. For instance , that lazy Sunday where you have nothing much to do or the weekend break that you have been waiting for .Utilize these days by taking your kids out and try to take minimal gadgets along with you . You will not only feel less stressed however your kids will enjoy something entirely different too. You can also choose adventure sports or camps and the kids would love them .

Raising your little leaders is quite interesting when you try to innovate ways to keep them busy differently . They will end up to play , read and study more . After all we need to raise readers, writers ,learners and peacemakers apart from being techies eventually .

Happy raising your little one :)