I rave a lot about how bad the internet is for yourself and for the children in your life. But that doesn’t mean that I hate it or that think it’s all bad. I think that the online world is fascinating, and amazing.
After all, it’s how you’re reading this right now.
The online world let’s us transcend time and space to communicate with people in amazing ways, about all sorts of things in all sorts of fashions.
“The internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.” — Jon Stewart
There’s so much good out there if we would only seek it out and make time to invest in it, and show our children how to access it, rather than the junk that most companies, devices, and peers will point them towards.
If you’re a parent or caregiver looking to promote good media in your child’s life, here are a few recommendations I’d give for what you should let your child do online:
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#1: Watch Salamander Yoga videos
This is oddly specific, but I’m such a fan I had to include it.
Scratch Garden, a channel on YouTube, has created about five 5-minute yoga breaks for kids. They’re these silly, slow stimulation videos that walk kids through different yoga poses as if they’re a salamander outside having to do these things.
My roommate and I use them myeslf on occassion to chill out and have fun for a few minutes.
During a particularly stressful week of college last semester, a group of friends and I gathered together for homework and a movie, and I ended up pulling up one of the videos for them at the end of the night.
While they were resistant at first, we ended up having a great time with it, and they asked to do another one as the first 5-minute timer wrapped up.
“We think that yoga could provide tools for children and young people to remain centered or regain focus, so they may cope with the stress and challenges they experience in their everyday lives. Such tools are needed in the world and societies where children are born into today.” — Ingunn Hagen and Usha Nayar in Front Psychiatry
The laughter and silliness ensued, and I could tell we were all a little bit calmer and happier.
Low stimulation exercise, yoga and meditation videos like these can do amazing things for your kids, and show them what positive content exists online.
Scratch Garden
Scratch Garden creates fun, educational videos for kids, educators, students, and anyone else that likes laughing and…
www.youtube.com
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#2: Have an email pen pal
I still remember getting an email address when I was around ten years old. My dad sat me down at our home computer and let me create a Gmail of my own.
I had so much pride about that, and enjoyed immediately getting the email addresses of some of my family members and pestering them with messages.
“As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has or ever will have something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression.” — Fred Rogers
Once they’re old enough to type and correspond, I would give them access to an email account and let them write to pre-approved contacts. (I think grandparents and cousins can be great candidates for this type of communication.)
This can also be used as a journaling method for them, teaching them to maybe email themselves and record what they’re doing or thinking each day.
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#3: FaceTime or video chat loved ones and friends
I know so many young families who often hand the phone to their children to talk to their grandparents, aunts and uncles, or family friends. I adore the practice.
This is a prime example of letting your child harness all of the amazing positive benefits technology has to offer. I think if your child wants to talk to someone, they should be able to! Even better if they can see the face of the person they’re talking to.
“Everyone needs to have access both to grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being.” — Margaret Mead
COVID definitely increased this practice, and I see no reason to let it decline with how fun and positive of an experience it is for kids.
Just the other day, my 11-year-old cousin called me on her new Apple Watch, and we were able to have such a sweet and uplifting conversation about how life was going and what we got for Christmas. It made my day, and I’m sure it was such a fun experience for her to be able to talk to me.
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#4: Research & find answers
For elementary age children, it can be a rite of passage to show them how to do meaningful research online.
Obviously, be careful. I would recommend employing a blocker of some sort to prevent any inappropriate content from accidentally being searched, but this can be so special to a child.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” — Albert Einstein
Perhaps they’re working on a paper, asking some questions about the world, or want to find some information for a poster or a presentation.
Learning how to find answers to big or little questions can be such a useful skill that they will use for years to come.
This can also be a way to teach them about different kinds of websites, and how to sift through different kinds of information to determine what’s trustworthy and good.
(I’m a big fan of any way you teach a child that not all media is created the same. This can set them up to be a much more conscientious media consumer in the future.)
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#5: Educational games
I have loved seeing teachers starting to use the Worlde as an attention grabber at the beginning of classes. It teaches such great things like collaboration, spelling, word recognition, and working memory.
“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” — Diane Ackerman
Games that teach math skills and typing can also be really great for growing kids minds. As long as it really is an educational game that challenges them to learn, I’m all for letting them use it.
Websites like PBS Kids offer several game options, and there are numerous websites with math and typing games that can be really beneficial for kids.
(For older kids, websites like Khan Academy or YouTube channels like TedEd can offer a more in-depth learning experience as learning games become more juvenile for them.)
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#6: Play with Google Earth
There is something so fun about Google Earth. It’s also (and this is the former homeschool in me talking) a great way to teach your kids about addresses, different parts of the world, and geography — both locally and globally.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”― Benjamin Franklin
I have used it even in college with friends to show each other our childhood homes, and to look up places that we’ve never been to and see what they’re like. It feels like virtual travel, and kids seem to love it.
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#7: Watch wholesome content
Watching something isn’t the end of the world. In fact, it can be apart of shaping a child, challenging their imagination, their critical thinking, and their moral compass.
It can also teach empathy, understanding, and worldviews of those different than them.
Be picky about what your children watch — but when you find something good, let them have at it.
I still remember growing up on a steady stream of wholesome Christian movies, as well as films like Princess Diaries, Air Bud, and various Pixar films like Cars and Toy Story.
“It’s good to be curious about many things.” — Fred Rogers
I was babysitting a little girl a couple of weeks ago who was telling me about her and her mom’s morning routine. (Imagine a three-year old telling you about her morning routine — it’s as hilarious and adorable as it sounds.)
She was going on and on and then told me about how “when mommy goes to take a shower, I watch my Bible story.”
I was grinning ear to ear, knowing that her mom had found her something she was okay with her watching, and how she, at three years old, knew that was what she was allowed and expected to do every morning.
In a similar fashion, during the last week of school at my mom’s hybrid school, kids got to watch a Christmas movie everyday. I thought this was precious and so good, because of the quality of what they were watching.
They were good, wholesome Christmas films that warm my heart still as a 21-year-old, making me feel a childlike sense of wonder at the thrills of Arthur Christmas, Rudolph, and Frosty the Snowman.
Once you’ve approved something for your child, let them enjoy it, and have access to it whenever and wherever your family screen time rules allow. These movies can then become the ones you have ready in the car, or on your phone when times call for them.
You’ll be much more comfortable knowing they’re watching something good, and you can step back and worry a little less that they’ll come across something they shouldn’t.
The same goes for television shows. If you have apps on your TV that your children know how to navigate, make sure they know what’s approved. Shows like Bluey and Curious George and those similar to it are probably always safe.
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Obviously, use your own discretion. I think for all children, even adolescents, screen time should be largely contained to public settings in your home.
This will allow for you to subtly monitor what they’re doing and intervene if something isn’t age appropriate or if usage is getting out of hand.
Screentime can (and should) be an amazing thing.
If you set out with the right intention and establish healthy limits and boundaries, it can be a foundational part of your child’s learning, growth, and blossoming understanding of the world.
I hope this list has been helpful! Best of luck in all of your screen-time promoting and monitoring efforts.
You got this.
Kindly, Katie
Read more: 4 Ways to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Teenagers & A 5-Step Guide to Helping Your Kids Stay Safe Online
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
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