Recently we gave a series of talks on the importance of parental bonding.
Some of the fathers were glued to their phones and were unable to keep the phone down for minutes before they started swiping again. The irony of the situation was not lost on me.
Parental bond isn't just about how close knit the family is.
Hands-on parents contribute to their child's cognitive development. The way parents enforce their family value system influence the way a child forms his/her perception of the world.
A child who is engaged and informed in the communication process grows to be a secure child. A secure child is less likely to have behavioural issues relating to impulsive wants, instant gratification, making good decisions to invest in the future...
In a world where billions of people are connected instantly, how has technology change the way we communicate with each other?
In the article, studies shows emotional damage in children who spend too much time with devices. What about the impact on adults?
The speed of access to information at finger tips can result in lack of empathy for others, lack of respect for privacy and a distortion in social etiquette.
“The ‘Me, Now’ generation is also used to having instant gratification as their needs are often met almost instantaneously.''
On occasions when we stick to our principles and child-first policies, we may not meet certain parents' demands. Threat of social media smearing to achieve what one wants is not a way to start or continue a long term relationship. It is akin to child A biting child B in order to snatch the toy over in the fastest manner, a behaviour we do not want to mirror to our child.
Dr Dana Suskind has a book, Thirty Million Words, that leaves an indelible impression on me. She was a paediatric cochlear implantation surgeon.
Early cochlear implantation gives a deaf child second chance at hearing, mitigates speech impairment and facilitates brain development. Language is the single most important element to brain development.
However, in some children, she was surprised initially to find that the early cochlear implantation wasn't able to help them. They stayed mute.
Upon further investigation, she found that these parents were not talking to the child, nor to each other. In a silent household, it was as austere as a world pre-cochlear surgery.
Technological advancement has innovated and improved our lives in countless aspects. It has also brought disruptions to many industries and jobs.
Let's be mindful of the use of it to prevent unwanted disruption to our family and child's development.