Raising kids the low-tech way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they in school yet? Screens are ubiquitous - and wait until MS and HS- all homework is done on the computer

Speak for your own school. Our middle school does homework science, math and English on paper and pencils. The amount of paper v screen in the other classes is a healthy ratio.

Some work is on the computer and on paper. The real concern is high school and social media. At least our school has not allowed the students to carry their phones around during the school day, not even lunch. The amount of phones opening in the afternoon must be in the thousands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't spend 7.5 hours on screens so I guess we're already balanced.

Not at home maybe- but they often do at school. You can’t escape it- especially once they get to middle school. It’s forced on us- there is no screen light option in public school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t access the article, but I’m trying to raise my kids similar how I was raised- I don’t restrict tv. We have iPads that only come out for long drives (3-4+ hours), plane travel, or if a kid is sick and needs to be confined to their room. My oldest is 7 and so far I’ve been able to avoid buying video games, though that’s getting harder as my son grows.

My 7 year old does have some homework on the iPad a couple of times a week, so it’s a bit unavoidable but I’m ok with it for schoolwork.

Now I need to work on my using my own home around the kids.

I am firmly against kids having access to iPads and iPhones.

Why do they need iPads for long drives or plane travels? I don’t restrict TV either but we don’t use iPads or computer games in the car or plane. My 10 year old has been taking a four hour flight about twice a year as an unaccompanied minor since she was seven years old. And before that she’s been flying with family. I’m not anti-tech in school but there’s no reason to use iPads when traveling. At the airport there are so many little kids with iPads. They aren’t present to where they are or what they’re doing because their eyes never leave the screen.

We packed an activity set for the plane when she started flying alone. The first time I asked her if there were other kids sitting next to her. She said yes, a 9 year old but she was on her phone the whole flight. It was a missed opportunity for two kids to get to know each other, to talk about their trips.

We don’t use iPads on long car rides either. You have a captive audience with your young kids to play games, listen to music together and just talk. With iPads they probably don’t even look out the windows.

I don’t have a problem with teens having a phone with travel but under the age of 13 there’s no reason to have screens while traveling.

You have a unicorn.

We dont use screens in the car either. We listen to music, talk, play games, or *GASP* be bored.

[Anonymous]

People saying “You have a unicorn” are right that it’s rare for kids to be low-screen. But they are wrong that it’s nearly impossible and based mostly on kid’s temperament. Way more kids could be the unicorn if the parents just made some harder choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People saying “You have a unicorn” are right that it’s rare for kids to be low-screen. But they are wrong that it’s nearly impossible and based mostly on kid’s temperament. Way more kids could be the unicorn if the parents just made some harder choices.

+1

You have to deal with the boredom and fight through it. Kids will eventually figure out something to do and after a while they get better at bringing the things they like to do. Both my kids have yoto players and now my DD9 has a campfire player so they listen a ton during carrides. Weve done many 6-7 hr roadtrips with no iPads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are they in school yet? Screens are ubiquitous - and wait until MS and HS- all homework is done on the computer

One can opt out of that.

No, they cannot.

Yes they can. Learn something silly.

In some districts you really can't, Ours went paperless last year so we switched to homeschooling.

Religious exemptions. If they refuse, sue, and kids become independently wealthy trust-fund kids.

Haha. Religious exception for using a Chromebook for computer work? The district will ignore you. Take it or homeschool. Go ahead and try to sue

[Anonymous]

I don’t let me 9 yr old on screens at all during the week and we homeschool. But my teens- they get a lot of screen time between their school, homework, and free time. I kept them mostly screen free (during week) until about 12- then it became impossible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't spend 7.5 hours on screens so I guess we're already balanced.

Not at home maybe- but they often do at school. You can’t escape it- especially once they get to middle school. It’s forced on us- there is no screen light option in public school!

You don’t the difference between reading educational information in school and scrolling endlessly on TikTok?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t access the article, but I’m trying to raise my kids similar how I was raised- I don’t restrict tv. We have iPads that only come out for long drives (3-4+ hours), plane travel, or if a kid is sick and needs to be confined to their room. My oldest is 7 and so far I’ve been able to avoid buying video games, though that’s getting harder as my son grows.

My 7 year old does have some homework on the iPad a couple of times a week, so it’s a bit unavoidable but I’m ok with it for schoolwork.

Now I need to work on my using my own home around the kids.

I am firmly against kids having access to iPads and iPhones.

Why do they need iPads for long drives or plane travels? I don’t restrict TV either but we don’t use iPads or computer games in the car or plane. My 10 year old has been taking a four hour flight about twice a year as an unaccompanied minor since she was seven years old. And before that she’s been flying with family. I’m not anti-tech in school but there’s no reason to use iPads when traveling. At the airport there are so many little kids with iPads. They aren’t present to where they are or what they’re doing because their eyes never leave the screen.

We packed an activity set for the plane when she started flying alone. The first time I asked her if there were other kids sitting next to her. She said yes, a 9 year old but she was on her phone the whole flight. It was a missed opportunity for two kids to get to know each other, to talk about their trips.

We don’t use iPads on long car rides either. You have a captive audience with your young kids to play games, listen to music together and just talk. With iPads they probably don’t even look out the windows.

I don’t have a problem with teens having a phone with travel but under the age of 13 there’s no reason to have screens while traveling.

You have a unicorn.

We dont use screens in the car either. We listen to music, talk, play games, or *GASP* be bored.

It’s not that hard, right? Under the age of ten years old they should have been taught that using iPads or phones are allowed in cars or planes. The planes have TVs that can be used but there other things to do waiting at the airport. In the car there’s music and talking and games. I Spy the hundredth time with a five year old is tough but worth it. . I’ve bought a lot of games and activities made for car rides.

Teenagers are another story. You can get them to play some games but I would let teenagers have their personal phones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't spend 7.5 hours on screens so I guess we're already balanced.

Not at home maybe- but they often do at school. You can’t escape it- especially once they get to middle school. It’s forced on us- there is no screen light option in public school!

You don’t the difference between reading educational information in school and scrolling endlessly on TikTok?

You are naive if you thinks kids are only using their computers in school for educational reading. Ask any teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't spend 7.5 hours on screens so I guess we're already balanced.

Not at home maybe- but they often do at school. You can’t escape it- especially once they get to middle school. It’s forced on us- there is no screen light option in public school!

You don’t the difference between reading educational information in school and scrolling endlessly on TikTok?

You are naive if you thinks kids are only using their computers in school for educational reading. Ask any teacher.

What else are they doing? I know they disabled touch screen so they can’t play videos. Those Chromebooks are so old I can’t imagine too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid doesn't spend 7.5 hours on screens so I guess we're already balanced.

Not at home maybe- but they often do at school. You can’t escape it- especially once they get to middle school. It’s forced on us- there is no screen light option in public school!

You don’t the difference between reading educational information in school and scrolling endlessly on TikTok?

You are naive if you thinks kids are only using their computers in school for educational reading. Ask any teacher.

What else are they doing? I know they disabled touch screen so they can’t play videos. Those Chromebooks are so old I can’t imagine too much.

They absolutely can and do play video games on them and the “educational” reading isn’t very educational. Public education is a joke now.