GOING BACK TO BASIC

Kids nowadays are so exposed to multiple high-tech gadgets. They truly are the "Techy Generation". What makes them such?

* One Kinder student brought an Ipad in school one time and he was very casual about it, like it was just another toy to him.

* You leave a cellular phone to a 2-year old child and he/she would be able to manipulate it in a matter of minutes.

* Preschoolers talk about playing "Angry birds" and Fruit Ninja". (Fyi: These are downloadable games)

* Play time to them means PSP time. It amazes me how focused they can get in playing video games when they normally have very short attention span in school.

These are just some of my observations working in a Preschool. I get more intimidated by "anything computerized" rather than these high-tech kids who can easily figure out how to use an Iphone without reading the manual. Yes, it is actually pretty impressive but I just feel like they are also missing out a lot on the natural way of having fun and enjoying their childhood, which compelled me to inspire parents and teachers to go back to basics. Whatever happened to outdoor play? Personally, I am anti-PSP and all other video-gaming devices for children. Or parents should at least regulate the use of these gadgets and really monitor their kids while playing.

Better yet, why not try the following with your kids:

Kite flying

Water fun: Swimming or go crazy with the sprinkler in your garden

Cook, bake or learn a new skill 

Get a pet

Make learning fun 

Try yoga for kids

Set up a tent at your backyard and "pretend camping"

Let them paint, doodle and scribble on their own freedom wall

Develop creative minds with Play-Doh 

The list goes on and on, but the real challenge is for parents to really give time and make an effort to take an active part in their kids' life especially in their formative years. Working parents shouldn't try to compensate their absence by buying their kids expensive high-tech stuff like the latest models of play stations, wii or Xbox. They shouldn't also get used to leaving their children in "Time zone" for several hours or let kids get addicted to playing DOTA or any of those violent video games. Maybe it's just me, but I strongly believe that kids have better alternatives and we should teach them to make better choices at an early age.