I was at a family dinner party that included a father and two young daughters (probably aged 5 and 7).
They were tugging at his slacks while he was balancing a martini and talking about something to me and another adult.
He leaned out of the conversation and spoke to the host:
"Do you have a wii we can throw these two on?"
This feels deeply troubling for child development. Learning how to interact at a young age often comes from watching elders interact.
For the kid to be staring at a phone/tv so they won't disturb the adults and be "quiet" takes this crucial learning experience away.
If you haven't noticed this parenting pattern before - pay attention next time you're in a queue, family restaurant or group gathering including young children.
I can't stand watching people parenting like that. It's sad to see the rejection. To be honest I was a victim of such things back in the day and it did a lot of damage for years. I was always second to whichever current affairs program was on television.
I decided to do things different with my kids, and after all, one of the reasons I had kids was to have someone to play with :)
There is very little technology required to amuse and/or educate children. Some imagination, a pencil and some paper is literally hours of fun to be had. The crucial bit is time, which you absolutely must make at the right time.
They were tugging at his slacks while he was balancing a martini and talking about something to me and another adult.
He leaned out of the conversation and spoke to the host:
"Do you have a wii we can throw these two on?"
This feels deeply troubling for child development. Learning how to interact at a young age often comes from watching elders interact.
For the kid to be staring at a phone/tv so they won't disturb the adults and be "quiet" takes this crucial learning experience away.
If you haven't noticed this parenting pattern before - pay attention next time you're in a queue, family restaurant or group gathering including young children.