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81 ASK DR. SHARON doctorotis@nextgenmagazine.org The Battle Against Electronics I am concerned that my child is going to spend the entire summer break on electronics or video games. SK, Lakewood Ranch. Children do not have innate self-control, so parental guidance is needed when using electronics. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates kids spend seven and a half hours a day on cell phones, computers, watching television, and using other electronic devices. Electronics have become so self-stimulating that children will not be able to be creative in the future. This is a universal dilemma that is affecting this generation in a signi��cant way. Develop family policies about electronics. Just as animals need a pack leader, so do your children. Have a family meeting to come to an understanding that the electronics are out of balance. Have a curfew for electronics about an hour before bedtime, and encourage reading or listening to music. Telling stories and talking are still important to children. Model behavior that you want the children to notice. If your head is buried in your device or video game, the children will do the same. Barter time. Allow an hour of play on the electronics for chores or outdoor activities. Set a new lifestyle goal of being outdoors an hour a day. Bring the indoors outside. Over spring break, I could not get the children to go outside. I gathered the paints and poster board, chalk, bubbles and building supplies, and took them out on a big table. They were busy for a few hours and never even asked for their electronics. Create a water park in your yard with slip and slide, sprinklers and squirt toys. There are many games that can be created outside. Set up a scavenger hunt and have the kids hunt for certain items and award prizes. Plant clues in the neighborhood or yard and have children ��nd them and piece them together for a bigger prize. Set up a basketball hoop, trampoline, or get out the bikes and shine them up. Scooters, rip sticks and gymnastic mats encourage outdoor play. Do a nature walk where the children check off items on a list and win a prize for the most items found. Buy some new pool toys to encourage time in the pool or go to a community pool once a week. Take your child to a tennis court and hit balls. Everyday games like tag, hide and go seek, pillow-��ghts, and sing-along are still popular. Have a back-yard campout with a tent or fort and sleeping bags. Learn the constellations and have the children ��nd stars in the sky. Help children plant a garden, learn to water and weed, and post vines. Provide your child with a camera and make a list of pictures to be taken outside, such as a bird, a dog, a ��ower, and help them start to explore nature through pictures. Create outdoor chores such as washing the car, picking weeds, taking trash to the curb, picking up sticks, and raking the leaves. There are many parks and preserves in Manatee County so try a new one each week. The change of scenery helps with boredom. Get your child outside and away from the electronic umbilici, and you will be helping cognitive development, problem solving and muscle development. ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������


20107PC
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