Almost every day, I come across interesting articles about the development of children.
There was an article in the NYTimes about raising creative children. These were my takeaways:
- make things fun
- let children develop their own passions
Another article by psychologist Sue Palmer asserts that screen time needs to be limited. These were my takeaways:
- Play is essential - it develops curiosity, social skills, creativity, muscles, empathy, and many other positive traits.
- Excessive screen-time has been linked to negative effects such as obesity, aggression, poor social skills, depression, and academic under-achievement. It has also been linked with emotional and behavioral disorders.
- Screen time often leads to lower attention spans & makes reading less exciting. (Words in a book do not move and too much screen time leads children to expect things to move to capture their attention.)
- Play, play, play! Spend time with your children.
It's refreshing to read articles like this from time to time. It reminds us that we really need to take a step back and let children be children. Let children play!
Love,
Ms. Liang