[Transcript] If you are the parent of a five, six, seven, eight year old child you’re probably spending quite a few minutes a day, hours a week, reading with them. Sitting down making sure that you read to them, and listening to them read to you. Isn’t it great to see them learning those words and getting more and more comfortable with reading. It opens up a world to them. So why aren’t you spending the same amount of time with a device in your hands, with a laptop or a smartphone or a tablet computer, and doing the same thing?
I’m often asked by parents ‘when should I give my child a digital device?‘
I think you give it to them at the same time you start giving them books – and then you do exactly what you do with books – you sit with that device, you take them through apps, and you tell them when certain apps aren’t for them. -Just like you wouldn’t give Harry Potter to a six-year-old, there are certain apps (like Call of Duty war game for example) that you wouldn’t give to a six or seven year old either.
This is your job as a parent. We learnt how to read and we learnt how to write by sitting with our teachers, or with our parents and repeating over and over again with mentorship, detailed correction and instruction. Do the same with your devices – get your child into the digital world in a safe and responsible, but structured and deliberate way. Spend time reading, spend time digitizing your child. The future is here – we can’t ignore it. Make sure your child gets a head start.
Chat to us if you’d like one of our team to chat to you about the younger generation – and how to Future Proof your Child. We do also have Graeme’s book ‘Future Proof Your Child‘ available on Amazon – a practical resource for any parent.