We’re a generation that has been fortunate enough to grow up around TV and the internet, which means our kids are too. And that’s a great thing. It really is, and not because it means we don’t have to parent as much. But instead because of the opportunities it presents.
TV and Internet give us and our kids a plethora of chances to learn and discover, without having to leave our homes on a rainy day, or spend a fortune. Making sure you have good Broadband and TV deals is of course important to keep you connected, but how you use it is entirely up to you.
We don’t watch that much live TV in our house, preferring to stream via Amazon Prime and Netflix, but there’s so many shows now aimed at kids, particularly little ones, which means you might just get the chance to do the washing up without having a toddler wrapped around your ankles for the duration.
I have to admit, I do think a lot of Anna’s excellent speech comes from the TV because she tends to steer clear of too babyish stuff, liking real life films, and Joseph, well frankly, anything with dinosaurs in it till do. I mean, Joseph can identify and say quite clearly “pachycephalosaurus” and that’s all thanks to his love for Jurassic World.
But really it’s the internet that can be the big assistant in developing your child. Having Broadband around the house means we can use our phones and tablets across the house, and stream TV in my bedroom which doesn’t have an aerial installation. It also enables you to download interactive games to your phone or tablet.
We use this as a bit of a treat, trying to make sure that the children don’t have too much screen and online time whilst they are still young. Books are still incredibly important and one of my biggest passions. But interactive games have their place too, and when they aren’t used too often, they make the experience more fun and memorable. We like matching games and anything that works on colours at the moment, and they’re visually stimulating for younger ones. It’s also good for teaching dexterity and hand control. A win win for all ages!
So it isn’t all doom, gloom and square eyes with kids, TV and Broadband, it’s about how you use it with them.
