Kindergartners and email/texts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's particularly cognitively advanced. Most 3 year olds I know can take a pic with an iPhone by accessing the app, etc. It's not a challenging executive functioning exercise.

What it is though is a values thing. Are you comfortable with your child being familiar with your phone? Are you comfortable with them acting as if it is theirs and grabbing it when they get a bit older? Or accessing it and using it without your knowledge?

But my family is somewhat anti-screen, and our smart phones are for adult use only, with very rare occasions of supervised use for an educational app.

+1. Our kids (3.5 and 7) don't get to access screens (of any kind) on their own. It's pretty atypical in today's day and age, but thanks to our no-screen rule, our 7 year old is a prolific reader and reads for a few hours each day along with shooting hoops...

You're not the only one, but I hope I'm not as smug as you!!

Well we have very limited screen time as well, and a non-prolific reader. Your child's reading is not necessarily a result of no screens.

I have a non-prolific reader that somehow reads three grades above. I think he improves his reading from all the screen time he has.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kindergartner can't read, so no, she doesn't do this.

She does try to steal my phone all the time to take pictures or play pokemon. I rarely let her near it since it's my only phone and if she broke it or messed it up I'd be scrambling.

They have Ipads in her K class, so I hear no complaints about that, just excitement that she gets to use one.

Do you like when she does this?

If not, how do you respond?

Do you set clear boundaries/expectations? For example, "Larla! Put that down please. My phone is not a toy. It's for grown ups only."

Do you impose consequences when she doesn't listen? For example, "Larla! I know you think my phone is fun. But it's not a toy. And it's not yours. You seem to have trouble listening and respecting my things today. Let's take a break from X tonight to see if it helps you listen better."

Serious suggestions above.

I'm hard core about our phones. They're expensive pieces of technology. They're not toys. DH and I have always been clear about this. Neither of our children grab or try to "steal" them without permission.

I'm always amazed when their friends come over and try to do that -- with MY phone. They literally grab it off the counter or try to grab it from my hand to see the pictures I've just taken.

Think about that for a second. They're literally trying to grab something that does not belong to them, and sometimes from someone else's hand. Total lack of impulse control.

I don't hesitate to say the same to them that I do with my own kids.

"Larlo! Please put the phone down. It's not yours."

Or "Larla! Please don't grab the phone from me. It's not yours. I'll show you the pictures if you give me a little space."

Uh, yikes. I wasn't expecting a lecture on my kid trying to get to my phone. Her father allows her to play with his. They look the same and are often on the same counter charging. I always take mine back and sharply tell her to leave my phone alone. I can't impose my will on my husband about not letting her play with the phones, if he wants to risk his being out of commission, that's on him.

But thanks for the suggestions on how to talk to my kid apropos of nothing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's particularly cognitively advanced. Most 3 year olds I know can take a pic with an iPhone by accessing the app, etc. It's not a challenging executive functioning exercise.

What it is though is a values thing. Are you comfortable with your child being familiar with your phone? Are you comfortable with them acting as if it is theirs and grabbing it when they get a bit older? Or accessing it and using it without your knowledge?

But my family is somewhat anti-screen, and our smart phones are for adult use only, with very rare occasions of supervised use for an educational app.

+1. Our kids (3.5 and 7) don't get to access screens (of any kind) on their own. It's pretty atypical in today's day and age, but thanks to our no-screen rule, our 7 year old is a prolific reader and reads for a few hours each day along with shooting hoops...

You're not the only one, but I hope I'm not as smug as you!!

Well we have very limited screen time as well, and a non-prolific reader. Your child's reading is not necessarily a result of no screens.

I have a non-prolific reader that somehow reads three grades above. I think he improves his reading from all the screen time he has.

OP, does not want to hear about all the helpful apps and videos that can help kids. Or, cool games like Stack the States or Countries to help our kids. Let their kids struggle with that stuff while our kids are learning through multiple ways - books, tablets, computers, workbooks and more. I don't get why it has to be all or nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got a note today from his teacher that he's been upset going to computer lab because he doesn't like the typing game they play, and she thinks it's because he's not good at it and/or not comfortable with technology.


My guess is he finds typing much harder than texting..

This is OP. Was amused reading through the thread and the turn it took towards sanctimony re screen time.

We played the game at home last night - It consists of seeing a letter on the screen and finding it on the keyboard. If you get a certain number in a row, you get to the next level. There's a time limit to find each letter (and it's not a ton of time for someone just figuring out qwerty). If you hit the wrong key or don't hit the letter in time you drop back to the beginning of the level. Parts of the screen starts flashing as you get close to the time limit. Honestly it is a stressful game and I would bet lots of kids don't like it - especially if they have any tendencies towards anxiety. I assume he was demonstrably upset which is why she emailed me... But the game kind of sucks and I still don't think his not wanting to go to computer lab had anything to do with confidence or comfort around computers.

[Anonymous]

THis is advanced by real world standards. Maybe not so much by dcurbankid standards.

My DD must have played the same typing game at school because she found it way stressful. She loves to text though. She types sentences ok, but I consider her quite gifted at emoji communication.

[Anonymous]

This is a great topic. There's also a connection between too much screen-time for our kids (I have 5) and their lack of outdoor play. I work with a vision health group in DC-area and this recent blog post from their site talks about the correlation between to many screens, too little outdoor play and resulting eye health issues. Google Treehouse Eyes and check our blog.
Thom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a great topic. There's also a connection between too much screen-time for our kids (I have 5) and their lack of outdoor play. I work with a vision health group in DC-area and this recent blog post from their site talks about the correlation between to many screens, too little outdoor play and resulting eye health issues. Google Treehouse Eyes and check our blog.
Thom

Nice way to push your agenda and blog that no one probably reads.