Childhood should feel expansive and rooted in wonder, and I think the same as you: delaying personal devices gives them the chance to build that foundation first. I love the way you’re thinking about future skills, it feels organic, not imposed or abstract, but woven into play and real-life experiences. I agree that the best way to prepare them for the world ahead is by helping them grow a strong sense of agency and creativity that they’ll carry with them no matter what the future looks like.
I’m so glad the points resonated with you. The future feels so uncertain, which is why I’m always sceptical of anyone who claims to know exactly what children should be taught or how they should be raised (beyond the basics, of course). Some parents take the opposite approach with very few boundaries around tech, also with the intention of “preparing for the future”, but that’s not our way. I feel those skills can come later, when they’re developmentally ready. Seeing toddlers with phones or iPads in buggies - instead of looking around at the world, or even joining (chaotic as it can be!) a family meal - really horrifies me. Thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to comment, it means a lot. 🙂
Something that I needed to embrace when championing "play, creativity and curiosity" is chaos. The more I leaned into chaos and lessened my resistance to it, the more freedom I felt. It's chaotic at the edge of learning, but it's such a cool place to be!
That’s such a good point. Children are so in the moment and see their creative worlds whereas we can too easily hone in on the mess and noise! Thank you for this :-)
Childhood should feel expansive and rooted in wonder, and I think the same as you: delaying personal devices gives them the chance to build that foundation first. I love the way you’re thinking about future skills, it feels organic, not imposed or abstract, but woven into play and real-life experiences. I agree that the best way to prepare them for the world ahead is by helping them grow a strong sense of agency and creativity that they’ll carry with them no matter what the future looks like.
I’m so glad the points resonated with you. The future feels so uncertain, which is why I’m always sceptical of anyone who claims to know exactly what children should be taught or how they should be raised (beyond the basics, of course). Some parents take the opposite approach with very few boundaries around tech, also with the intention of “preparing for the future”, but that’s not our way. I feel those skills can come later, when they’re developmentally ready. Seeing toddlers with phones or iPads in buggies - instead of looking around at the world, or even joining (chaotic as it can be!) a family meal - really horrifies me. Thank you so much for reading and for taking the time to comment, it means a lot. 🙂
Inspirational amazing Mama, inspirational gorgeous family!
Thank you Judith 🙏 From one inspirational mother to another 🫶 😘
100% to all of the above! <3
Something that I needed to embrace when championing "play, creativity and curiosity" is chaos. The more I leaned into chaos and lessened my resistance to it, the more freedom I felt. It's chaotic at the edge of learning, but it's such a cool place to be!
That’s such a good point. Children are so in the moment and see their creative worlds whereas we can too easily hone in on the mess and noise! Thank you for this :-)