Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

How To Balance Life And Technology For Kids?

Posted by Zonk on from the teddy-ruxpin-is-my-friend dept.

brs165 writes "Being a newly minted geek father as of 4 months ago, I've thought about problems I've never had reason to consider before. One issue which I'd like to hear from the ./ crowd is introducing technology to their children. What got me thinking about this was a blog post about 'Nature-Deficit Disorder', and I think it brings up some good points. I grew up playing in the local woods and creek with minimal tech until our first computer when I was 13. I hear stories from coworkers how some of their kids/grandkids hating going outside because it is boring and they'd rather stay indoors. Should I avoid introducing them to technology until absolutely neccessary, or is it a matter of achieving a balance?"

11 of 425 comments (clear)

  1. Your influence is the number one thing by Humba · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm a geek dad of 4 kids (9, 6, 4, and 1 yrs). Obviously, a balance is necessary.

    But the real thing is: Your kid(s) will be into whatever you're into. If all you do is stay inside with the XBox and plasma TV, don't be surprised if that's all they ever want to do. For Father's Day (in the US) today, I took the boys on a bike ride, then we did waste a beautiful summer afternoon in the movie theater watching Ep 3.

    Always look for ways to re-live your youth with them: Legos, Star Wars, bike riding, snow forts, adventures in the woods, baseball, and mindless shows on Cartoon Network all play a part. The computer is just a new element to share together.

    --H

    1. Re:Your influence is the number one thing by squarefish · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I wouldn't be so sure of this. a good friend of mine has a 6 year old and he's glad that his son shows no interest in computers or video games yet- he's surprised there hasn't been any peer presure from his son's friends. the father is programmer and developer for the main gaming platforms and has all the developer kits in his office. the room is always locked and the son has a play area in the room while his father is working and needs to watch him, but otherwise doesn't participate or pay attention to what his father is doing, which can be particularly useful when he's working on a violent game like area 51. the father is very happy that his son just wants to run around outside and play with real toys for now.

      --
      Creationists are a lot like zombies. Slow, but powerful and numerous. And they all want to eat our brains.
  2. social evolution by handy_vandal · · Score: 5, Funny

    I grew up playing in the local woods and creek with minimal tech until our first computer when I was 13. I hear stories from coworkers how some of their kids/grandkids hating going outside because it is boring and they'd rather stay indoors.

    Kids raised indoors on computers will adapt better than their parents to a career in cubicle indenture.

    -kgj

    --
    -kgj
    1. Re:social evolution by Seumas · · Score: 5, Funny

      What I don't get is what reason is there to "balance"? Chances are a kid is going to grow up in the city. Live in the city. Shop in the city. Work in the city. Commute in the city. When exactly is he going to fucking see wilderness, outside of half-assed public parks and the one trip every couple years up to some well-kept government camping ground (which is about as much "outdoors" as a New York city roof garden).

      Besides, everyone knows that nature sucks. That's why we pave shit.

  3. OMG that means ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    you've had sex!!!

    way to go :O

  4. First off... by Pete+LaGrange · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Try to understand that you're not going to have nearly the amount of input you seem to think you will. Your kids are going to be introduced to a whole host of things without your consent/knowledge.

    Once you wrap your mind around that, you can start to prepare yourself to teach them to deal with those things on a rational level.

    You're thinking ahead, at least, and that's the first step to success. Good luck, you'll need it.

    Pete (father of 8)

    --
    loyalty above all, save honor
  5. get them outdoors by reverse+flow+reactor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let them see the outdoors, and if technology is there, it is a tool and not the toy.

    DO: get them outside, go canoeing, biking, hiking, walking, skiing, camping, exploring, build and launch model rockets (please, lauch outside), build a treehouse... If you must involve technology, bring a GPS and a digital camera (but don't forget a map and compass - be sure they know how to use those when the GPS batteries die). While you are out there, talk to them abou the plants species, the mountains, how the compass works, how the water flows around the canoe and what make the bike stable while it is moving.

    What did you enjoy doing outside as a kid? Why not try that? If they enjoy it too, that's great - you are doing somehting you enjoy outside, and your kids are there and having fun too!!

    Is it possible for you to even raise your kids without a TV? I can certainly live without a TV (over a year now, almost 3 years depending on how you count it).

    DO NOT: buy a Nintendo/PS3/XBox and let the toy babysit the kids for you. People at Slashdot will expel the virtues of how they learned problem solving and "other skills" while playing video games. Well, I learned a few German words playing a foreign game, and picked up some geography from Civ3, but try and keep the video games to a minimum.

    Being a parent is an active responsibility (but it can be fun). Just be sure you go exploring. If you are having fun, they probably will be too. If the kids look forward to going biking with dad more than sitting in front of the boob-tube playing Mari Kart 12, you are doing your job well! If they hear "Dad's home, and were building rockets tonight!" and drop the video game in the middle of a game to join you, you are doing great!

    --

    The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. -Einstein

  6. Huh by Elshar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Am I the only one that misread the title as "how to Load balance life, technology, and kids"?

  7. Re:Nature/Tech by aklix · · Score: 5, Funny

    You bring up a few good points. Infact 9 months prior to delivery I am going to order a weight set from 1 gram to 500 kg, and my child WILL be trained to lift a car with his/her mind.

  8. Balance by Britz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Life is all about balance. Raising kids, too. Teach them as much as you like as early as you like. Just remember to balance work and play, outside and inside, free time and rules. Kids need rules and need to test them. They also need their own space. Limited of course, but their own.

    You put it right.

    Balance

  9. Be there for them! by chris_eineke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't leave your wife and your kids when your kids are three and one year old. It messes up your wife and the kids.

    I know.

    I'm talking from experience. I grew up without having a father I could talk to... :(

    --
    "All you have to do is be fragile and grateful. So stay the underdog." Chuck Palahniuk, Choke