Why do children love the Internet?


 They crave stimulation, interaction and connection

If we take a look at rl there is very little stimulation for children outside of organized events that are not created by adults. School everything is organised and children are force-fed stimulation from an authoritarian structure

Outside of school, they have clubs created and run by adults

Our parks have few facilities geared toward play

We have overused and under-resourced playgrounds

Maybe you have basketball courts or tennis courts and a pond

We have an outdoor gym in one of our local parks but it is designed for adults

My children still love to play on it, why? Because it's freeform play, they can be creative, it's stimulating, engaging and fun

Where are the outdoor gyms for kids?

Where is the art for kids (beyond graffiti)

The next best resource I have come across is the local library where children are free to read

Then there's the adventure playground, supervised and free to play, parents love these environment. The kids do too. It's the closet thing to free form play

Beyond this, there is little (that you don't pay for)

Online there is almost limitless stimulation and interaction available

Games, chats, forums, and videos on nearly every conceivable topic and all delivered unstructured and in children-friendly formats

It's no wonder children prefer to sit and watch hours and hours of video

I find that if I engage or offer an experience that stimulated my children they choose rl stimulation over online. Today's children are looking for balance. They live between two worlds the online world and the offline world. Balance is health so create balanced options and you get balanced results


I live in the city, maybe your experience where you live is different?


#father #family #dad #kids #chlidren #parenting #parentingtips

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