We live in a world full of distractions. During our current times, a child is born and it seems like immediately they have an electronic device in their hands. Sadly, that electronic device becomes their new umbilical cord for the rest of their life. Is this the child’s fault or the parents? What was the intent of giving that child an electronic device?
Times have changed and so has parenting. For the generations before the Millennials, parenting was different than what we are seeing today The generations before the Boomers was even more different. With the change in technology comes the change in parenting the and the interaction parents have with their children. It seems as if with every advancement in technology the personal gap between parent and child increases.
Yes, the parents are in control of how much a child is able to have technology in their life, but is it really that easy? Technology has become so ingrained into our society that children are no longer using textbooks or pencils and paper to do their school work. Everything has evolved to revolve around computers. So how are parents evolving with the age of technology?
There are many facets to parenting and many ways in which to parent. Obviously we all don’t agree on there being a single way to parent or we would all be doing it. But there are some things that should be the foundation to all parenting and that is expressing love and appreciation for our children. I started this blog off talking about how technology has infiltrated our families. There is a reason for that, and I want to get your opinions on it.
When you were growing up, how much personal time did your parents spend with you? How much time did your mom spend with you individually, and how much time did your dad spend with you individually? Do you recall spending time with your parents doing activities and creating memories? Or, are your memories just of you alone entertaining yourself? If you are older, how much time are you spending with your parents now?
Did your parents support you in your interests? Did they attend your sporting events, your dance recitals, your band performances, your plays? Did your parents nurture your interests and work to helping you achieve your future goals? Basically I want to know if you feel like your parents expressed interest in you? How much love did you feel, and are you still feeling that love?
Today it sometimes feels as though parents are overwhelmed by their children and so they use technology as a distraction or even a baby-sitter to free them from having to give attention to their children. Parents seem to be spending less time with their children, and allowing technology to be their parent? In doing so, what are our children learning from technology and what skills are we passing on to them in becoming parents themselves in the future? What are we telling our children when we pass them off to technology? Are we telling them that they are bothering us, that we don’t have time for them, or are we telling them that we don’t love them enough to spend time with them?
Think about how your parents participated In your life. Are you appreciative of how much time they spent with you, or did you want them to spend more time with you than they did? Did you miss out on the one on one time, and the bonding opportunities that was important to how you developed the relationships with your parents? Take a minute to think about how you felt growing up. Now reflect on how you are spending time with your children, or how you will spend time with your children when the comes time.
Did you get enough time from your parents? Are you giving enough time to your children? Did you feel supported and appreciated? Are you supportive and appreciative to your children? Cycles can be continued and cycles can be broken. It’s like anything else we do in our lives. We are the ones in control of the choices we make, the stories we write and how they turn out.
I hope you come from a happy story, and if not, hopefully you can make a happy story for your children.
