I saw a post on my friend Tonya's Facebook page today, about an article in the Huffington Post that suggests limiting the use of handheld devices for children under 12. While I did not read the article (because people handing out guidelines for other people's children just ruin my mood), I chimed in because the topic has been an issue in my family for a long time.
I should clarify - the use of handheld devices specifically has not been an issue for us, but setting guidelines for how much "electronics time" the kids get has been a struggle on more than one occasion.
My kids are 12 1/2 (yes, that 1/2 is very important!) and almost 17, so basically two teenagers and during the school week I have been limiting their "electronics time" to one hour per day (or 90 minutes, depending on my mental state, PMS and other things...).
And when I say "limit" I mean letting them use their Playstation/iPad/laptop/TV/Netflix... for entertainment purposes.
I find it very hard to draw a concise line on this one, because they need and use technology for their homework and school work (my son's school even has one iPad for every two students) and I do believe that education is changing to a point where more and more info will come from sources outside the classroom and teachers play the role of moderator and guide more than the omniscient sage.
That being said - I realize that they need to use their iPads etc. to research, read and whatnot, but I want to make sure that they keep the (in my opinion) "mindless" entertainment within a reasonable level (and yes, watching Mine Craft or Funniest Vine videos counts as mindless in my book).
My husband and I just had this discussion a few days ago and decided (if you're reading this honey: I kind of decided it and now that I wrote it here it's official ;) ) that we should focus on quality rather than quantity. I don't want to look over my kids' shoulders all the time to make sure they are not watching a Vine video rather than researching the mating habits of orcas...
I know I can trust them enough to let them loose on the Internet and while I reserve the right to check up on them, I would rather have a deal with them that includes rather than excludes - like doing a certain amount of reading/chores/physical activity a day and then use their own judgement what to entertain themselves with.
After all, I don't want my oldest calling me in a few years when he goes off to college and ask me if he can use his iPad now...
What are your thoughts on this? I'd love to hear about it!