I’m taking a few minutes to reblog this post because I’m so happy to see a post about the positives of technology. Technology is here to stay and I think it’s important that we teach our children how to appropriately take of advantage of all it offers. It shouldn’t be used as a “babysitter” or a reward anymore than watching TV should. Technology should simply be a part of life. Take time to learn all there is out there in the technology world for children (and for you). You’ll be pleasantly surprised. (Ok , I’m stepping down off my soapbox.) Thanks for a great post Hipmombrarian.
My children, both on handheld devices, learning and laughing.
Last week the Huffington Post ran this article titled 10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12.
As an educator who advocates for the intentional and appropriate use of technology, I could go on about this forever. But instead I’m writing here as a mother.
Here are my 10 reasons why I will continue giving my children handheld devices, and all other forms of technology as well.
1) Because banning things never, ever, ever works.
Remember when your parents wouldn’t let you watch rated R movies so you just went to your friends’ houses to watch them? I think I’d rather have my kids using technology and handheld devices with me beside them. Where I can engage with them, answer questions, and limit content if I have concerns.
2) Problem solving.
When my kids…
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Rainy Day Reflections 
Finally a voice of reason in this debate. Excellent post and I couldn’t agree more with every point. I love that my three year old understands the basic principles of research – he doesn’t have to know the answer if he knows how to find the answer!
The debate reminds me of something my dad told me. In the 1940s when he was a child, “they” were saying you shouldn’t let your kids listen to the radio or read too many books. Bad for the brain his mother was told! (Now dad is a professor so I guess that’s disproving the ol’ radio and books are evil notion).
“They” have been scaring parents for a long time. Perhaps forever?
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Exactly! I don’t understand why “they” always want to scare us. Why not give information on how to make technology work for your family, instead? I have long supported the use of technology. When we bought our first computer; most everyone we knew told us that we were wasting our money on a fad. No one else we knew had a computer. Now my grandsons use technology everyday. Our oldest grandson has been able to operate our iPhones since he before he was 2. (He’s 7 now.) He knew where his folder was on my phone and would go there to find his apps. He and his brothers now have iPads of their own. They aren’t given unlimited use — anymore than they are allowed to watch TV all day. Maybe those that write articles to scare us are actually afraid of the technology. Enough said…
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