What I recommend parents say to kids is something like this: “You can have half-an-hour of computer time to goof around and IM. So time on the computer, playing video games, and watching movies should all be structured. It doesn’t have to be a complex math problem of, “There are five hours and three kids, so each gets one-and-two-thirds hours on the computer.” It doesn’t have to be that way, and it shouldn’t be, in my opinion. And then you use extra video game time to reward and motivate kids to do extra things. Everybody can get half-an-hour on the Wii or Nintendo in the evening. And it doesn’t always have to be somebody’s turn. The video games don’t have to run constantly, either. It doesn’t have to be on just because it’s there. I believe that the computer can be shut down at times, it’s okay. So what is fair if you have three kids? How do you decide that? I’m all for structure myself. Make no mistake, kids have to learn how to share and take turns, in all respects. Just as you can’t let one of your children have all the computer or TV time, it’s also a mistake to let him have all the emotional focus of the family. The problem is when you do it at the exclusion of other children or family members. If your child is ruling your household with his or her dramas, you have to stop the show.ĭon’t misunderstand, there’s nothing wrong with making your child feel special, important and loved. There’s also a powerful emotional connection that many parents have trouble managing, and they sometimes get trapped by emotionally making their child feel like he’s the center of the universe. The job I’m describing, of course, is breaking the child away physically. Let me put it this way: it’s great feeding a one-year-old, but nobody wants to feed a seven-year-old. That level of attention, however, should diminish gradually as children get older. Let’s face it, when kids are young, they demand a great deal of care. Parents often naturally make their children feel like they’re the center of the universe.
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