Most parents of children in the Preschool in Dubai, express their dislike for allowing children to watch television and encourage them to play outdoors in the gardens, or the backyard, building dirt and twig forts or tree houses and running free, hosting tea parties for dolls and playing school and spending hours recording stories on a cassette recorder. These bring back fond memories for parents too, a time when electronics and video games did not exist.
Children, for lack of knowing any better, will always choose to watch television, play a video game or go to their computer, unless parent's teach them to think outside the box. Television also has its many advantages as well, there is no denying that fact. But it's all about striking a balance between the two.
Here are some tips presented by parent's at the Children’s Nursery in Dubai, about how to distract children from television and other techno gadgets that seem to be invading the home.
- Get the family involved - Make sure to set a rule in the family to stop using gadgets as an everyday pastime. Make sure to unplug everything during the designated time.
- Make it interesting - Set the stage for an invitation to play, by having enticing materials to spark play all ready for when a child comes home from school. For example, a teddy bear and dolls waiting for a tea party or some art materials.
- Change the child's routine - Make sure to have a surprise in store for the child, in the morning when they wake up or when they return from the Nursery Schools in Dubai.
- Draw the line and set limits - Give the child a certain time when they can watch TV, but they cannot watch before school as the child's brain needs to be quiet and focused before heading out for a day of learning. Make sure to set the rules every day, so that after some time the child will know the routine.
- Give the child a choice - Request the child to make a list of things they think are much more interesting than watching television or playing games. Honor their choices and respect them enough to help them happen.
- Go easy on the child - The more parents push the child away from the digital entertainment the more they may want it. Allow the child an hour of television in the middle of the day, each day and this will work well.
- Take time to play with the child - Children will learn more about play from their parents than from a toy or a television show. There are many easy and creative ways of having fun with children.
- Challenge a child - Friendly competition is good for a child, as it encourages stimulation and creativity.
- Talk to the child - Tell them about the amazing things there are to do in life and how time is short and should not be wasted in front of a television. Tell them watching television will take away the fun from them enjoying other things like board games, walks in the park, playing with pets and doing creative crafts and art projects.
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