How to Introduce Technology to Your Kids

Technology is everywhere and kids nowadays interact with it from very early in life. With this in mind, introducing technology to your kids is one way to prepare them for the future. However, you should be extra careful as technology has its adverse effects. If you want your kids to be conversant with technology without impairing their development or negatively affecting their childhood, below are a few approaches to consider.

1. Start Early

Introducing your kids to technology earlier in life is a great way to maintain their interests and help them explore their creativity. However, a child's brain develops fast in the first three years, making it the perfect time to learn lingual social, emotional, and motor skills. You should, therefore, let your child interact with others and live a life away from devices as much as possible.

While you should keep contact with technology at a minimum, you can allow video calls or simple communication. According to AAP, you should introduce your kids to technology and gadgets after two years while helping them understand what they are doing.

2. Set Limits

Excessive consumption of digital content can overwhelm kids. With this in mind, you should enforce limits on how much screen time your kids can have. You can do this by tailoring interactions with technology according to your kid's ages. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends one hour of screen time for kids between two and five years, with adult involvement.

Older kids may get more time since they have better memory and attention spans. You should also set aside hours where your kids cannot be interacting with devices, such as during mealtimes or a few hours before bedtime. Doing so allows your kids to engage in other healthy habits and not depend on technology.

3. Provide Resources.

A great way of introducing kids to technology is by providing the necessary resources and tools they need. Some parents decide to get their kids computers at age five while others start considering it at age 7. If your child is interested in computers, they can learn to code and gain programming skills. You can also enroll them in programming boot camp as part of their childhood education using programs like GI benefits to fund the training. With technology in your kid's childhood education, they can learn to code and gain critical skills in readiness for their future careers.

4. Focus on Quality

When introducing technology to your kids, ensure they are engaging in useful online activities that add value to their lives. While educational videos may seem like a good idea, most of them are associated with sleeping problems, developmental issues, and delayed communication skills such as poor vocabulary. Opt for online content and apps that play into your child's interests, encourages creativity, and boost their development in various aspects of life.

If your kids love building things and solving problems, you can expose them to relevant technology such as Scratch so they can create animations, games, and stories. By being intentional about the technology you introduce to your kids, you discourage careless browsing and enable them to discover technology's potential.

5. Be Involved

To successfully introduce your kids to technology, you have to be involved in the process instead of making it a solo activity for your kids. This is especially crucial for younger kids. You don't have to be tech-savvy to be involved in your kids' online activities. If they have a better knowledge of technology than you, allow them to teach you as it boosts their confidence.

Doing so also gives you a chance to be updated on current technology trends so you can be conversant about what your kids are doing online.  Whether they are learning programming or playing games online, your involvement enables you to vet the content they consume and monitor their online activities.

6. Lead by Example

Kids learn best by observation. The habits and attitudes they see you adopt about technology and shape how they view and utilize technology. If you are going to be hyper-vigilant about minimizing screen time and teaching about online safety and responsibility, you should also practice what you teach.

For kids who want to learn to code, you should also show interest by helping them build websites or write code. When you lead by example, it becomes easier for your kids to learn about technology without misusing it. As you teach your kids about technology, always explain why you do what you do for them to appreciate its importance.

Always remember to teach your kids about online safety, such as not sharing personal information online, avoiding suspicious websites, and how to deal with cases such as cyberbullying. As technology becomes an integral part of our daily lives, it is necessary to ensure balance when introducing it to kids to avoid adverse long-term effects.