Gourmet Day

PARENTS! DID YOU GET GOD'S TWEET?

Anita Vogel posts an article today on FoxNews.com which should be of interest to all of us with children. It’s about the effects of Online Time on our children.

One expert. Karen Sternheimer, a sociologist who works on kids issues, says she’s concerned about those “who never have been on Facebook, MySpace, who don’t know the logic of social networking. I am more concerned in the long run that they will be left behind in the market place.” Her concerns aren't supported scientifically, but still the situation needs to be addressed. Ms. Sternheimer's hand wringing reflects the sentiment of many with online addicted kids. Parents need substantive advice.

Vogel sites a new study from the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future which queried roughly 2000 families. They learned that families are spending 25% less time with each other over the past years. In other words twittering and instant messaging are moving Mom and Dad farther from the center of their children’s lives.

Robert Myers, a child psychologist comments that, “As far as brain development goes, playing with toys, building things for younger kids, fantasy play are much more important in child development than what you’re going to watch on a screen. They (parents) should be encouraging their kids to do other things.” The report doesn’t offer any solutions or ideas of what ‘other things’ might be. Though researchers agreed however, that parents should set guidelines, and look for ways to spend quality family time together. They say even one family dinner a week can make a difference when it comes to engaging in conversation and promoting verbal skills and the all important “face time.”

Those worried about their children managing the marketplace should read the headlines-- the marketplace is crumbling. The marketplace of ideas, the marketplace of relationships, the marketplace of goods....you name it…. is falling apart. Why? Because the people don’t know how to treat other people. They didn’t learn from their parents how to forgive, how to be polite, how to work together, how to share, how to be responsible etc.
Kids are getting texting-calluses on their twittering fingers, but are ill-equipped for dealing with people— ie. the market place.

Do you kids a big favor and set aside one evening a week for a special time of....twittering/texting/facebooking. Yep, plan a big night of “ Texting till your fingers bleed!” Make it a party. Then set a non-electronic communications theme for the other 6 nights: eat together night, play together night , work together night , be together night, talk together night, worship together night, or sing and dance together night.

I’m not an expert in psychology or sociology, and I've sent 3 tweets in my life, but my wife and I have 5 children ages 9-26, and they function well in the marketplace. Not only do we love them, but they love us. In fact, they even like us. We laugh (hard and often) when we are together. We can work together. We talk easily and on a deep, personal level (even with the 9 year old). They are responsible and have their own personal faith in God.

How have we done it? By applying (Look for "Apps From God" some other time.) a ‘tweet’ God sent long ago. He sent this message as text, “Talk about them (the ways of God) when you're at home or away, when you lie down or get up. ... and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.” It is archived in Deuteronomy 6:7.

Permit your children less on-line time and they’ll be in-line for happier, more productive lives. They cannot spend their days better than with their parents. YOU are the best investment for them now and down-the-line.