Blog
Why we need to become WiFi warriors for our Kids
Everywhere we look these days there are signs announcing “Free WiFi”. In cafes, restaurants, hotels, airports and even department stores. Up until recently, I thought this increasing WiFi access was great. I could literally use my devices anywhere, anytime. But the more I learn about risk of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) (this is what our WiFi […]
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Why Attention is the Essential Skill for Children to develop in the Digital Age
In our screen-saturated world we’re often living in a perpetual state of distraction and so too are our children. And this impacts on our brains and our capacity to learn. You see, we cannot learn if we’re constantly distracted.
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Internet-Connected Toys: What Parents Really Need to Know Before Santa Delivers Toys This Year
Santa’s sack will look different this year… The toys that Santa will stuff in his sack this year will look very different to the toys that he used to deliver, even only a couple of years ago (and very different to the toys that we received when we were kids. Yes, I still have very fond memories […]
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Using Phones at Restaurants with Kids
I need your attention not your iPhone It’s becoming a common sight seeing toddlers and young children staring at smartphones at a restaurant table. But I’m worried we’re accepting this as “the norm”. That this is just part of modern family life. It’s becoming accepted practice. And not just at the end […]
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Kids’ Attention in a Digital World
Our kids live in a digital smorgasbord where they’re drooling over screens for increasing periods of time each day. And this digital bombardment is changing their attention. Yet as humans, our attention is one of our most precious commodities. It’s non-renewable and essential to thrive in 21st Century, but in today’s digital world it’s so […]
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Please Minimise Your Child’s News Exposure
The recent siege in Sydney is upsetting for adults, so we must be even more mindful of what our children are being exposed to directly or even indirectly through the media and also their peers. Here are my tips when there’s distressing world events reported in the news: 1. Even though it’s difficult to do, try to avoid exposing […]
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Balancing kids’ screen-time with green-time
Many children today spend their idle time staring at screens and not at the sky. Kids today are tethered to technology and as a result, many children are experiencing a ‘nature deficit’. When kids are spending too much time with technology they’re not spending enough time in nature and this has implications on their development […]
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Danielle Wright Interview
http://www.daniellewright.com.au/ Sleepy Magic, by Danielle Wright, is a gorgeous and invaluable gift for those looking for a new technique to help get their children to sleep in a calm and peaceful manner. Imagine not having to dread the kids’ bedtime Imagine not having to trek back and forth from their bedrooms to negotiate, settle and soothe […]
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Brexting
Is ‘brexting’ (breast-feeding your baby whilst using your smartphone) really that bad? Is brexting really different from watching TV, reading a book or taking a quick nap whilst feeding a baby? Nobody criticised these habits, so why are we finding yet another thing to criticise mums about? Or do we need to fret? Is a […]
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Are Headphones Bad for Kids’ Ears ?
Dangerous Decibels: Are Headphones Harming Children’s Hearing? Getting kids to listen is difficult at the best of times. We often joke that our children’s hearing may have been harmed because of all of the loud music that they listen to. But there may be some truth in this claim. Noise-induced hearing loss is a serious […]
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Do Kids Learn More From Handwriting or Typing?
Is Typing or Handwriting Better for Kids? The keyboard versus the pen. Which is better for children’s learning? As laptops and tablets become commonplace in schools many parents and teachers are left wondering if note-taking with paper and pencil will become an obsolete skill. Do young children still need to learn how to […]
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Why Background TV Isn’t Healthy For Little Ones
Leaving the TV switched on throughout the day is commonplace in many homes. It’s often just the “done” thing. So parents are often quite shocked to learn that there are unintended consequences of “background TV” on their child’s development. I live by the mantra by Maya Angelou, “When you know better, you do better.” I […]
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