Technology and its Place in the Early Years

This is a really tricky one. It is tricky because real life and research can look very different.

All research will say that up until two, children should not be exposed to screens. Screens can reduce the development of the full range of eye movement, reduce the length of time children can stay focussed for and also reduce the amount of time they have for active play, social contact and other chances for language development.

After two and up to five, research suggests to limit screen time to an hour per day, or for special occasions. Long periods of screen time is linked with poorer social skills, a reduction in active play, less outdoor and creative play, slower development of language and short term memory and fewer opportunities to develop thinking skills.

When Jarome was under two, when we were at home, I had television on in the background for my own sanity. He wasn't actively watching it but it was on. Television or radio helped me to feel like I had other adult company in the house. He played around the house, I joined him and at times I drifted off to see what was happening on the television. Otis, as our second son, has probably been exposed to just as much television time however since Jarome is almost four, the types of movies that do get played in our home are a lot more catchy (Frozen, Finding Nemo, Cars etc) so I think Otis pays the television more attention when it is on in comparison to Jarome.

When Jarome turned one he started attending long day care while I worked in the Kindergarten Room. While in care, he was in a screen free space so was not exposed to any screens during this time of his day. He has attended care and now Kindergarten ranging in three-five days a week since he was one. In our Kindergarten Room, we use screen time for research only. For example, we were making a home for snails we had found in our garden so used YouTube to research what snails eat and what kind of home we would need to create. Screens are not used daily.

Otis has been in care since he was five months old and attends three-five days a week. He is in the nursery and this is a screen free time.

Real life in our home, one hour is two Pokemon episodes or almost a movie. Sometimes this just isn't enough.

My husband is super amazing however, works big hours. Most mornings he wakes up only to help us out to the car and in the evenings I arrive home from Kindy with two tired boys and my mission is to prepare and cook dinner, bath the boys, read a book or two and get them both off to bed by myself. If I haven't fallen asleep while putting them to bed I hop back up and attempt to reset the house. During these times I like to put a movie on as a bit of a buffer so I can get these things done. More often than not, its playing in the background for a total of around two hours.

We chose to subscribe to Netflix instead of getting channels because it is cheaper and free of advertisements.

 Ipads and Iphones are a little different to televisions in our household. We don't have enough money for these to be toys in our home. I think of these as little computers. They are great research tools for older children but are super unnecessary on a developmental level for younger children. On a personal level, and money aside, I choose to keep these devices from my children. At home, they are happy enough without them so I don't feel the need to introduce them. I also think that when out, children need to learn how to cope in social situations and if absorbed into a screen, miss out on so much. I also worry about the radiation side of things. In saying this, I have resorted to watching an episode of Pokemon with Jarome while waiting for food at a restaurant a handful of times. In these moments, he has been too tired to take out and I have only accepted this truth on arrival at the restaurant.

I do remember, when Jarome was about eighteen months old, he LOVED the Happy song by Pharrell Williams. We played it on YouTube for him and we were trapped. Having this on became his normal and when it came time to switch it off, tantrums ensued. We lived with my very wonderful sister and her family at the time and all of us suffered through this (sorry sister!). Eventually we couldn't handle it any more. Screens can very quickly become 'the normal' and addictive. At this point we made the decision that it wasn't worth it and it wasn't the behaviour we were wanting to create or accept. Long story short- no more YouTube on the demands of our eighteen month old.

The journey of parenting and the journey of being a reflective educator are very similar in many ways. One of these similarities is the need to find a balance between a range of theories and opinions. Another, is the need to be constantly reflective and also be willing to call yourself out-check yourself. We are always learning.

As for what is right or wrong?

There are so many right ways to parent and educate. Moderation is key.

Jarome has dressed himself as Maui. His current favourite character, inspired by recent viewings of the wonderful movie Moana. Maui's Hook was found in the park and he has drawn his own tattoos on.