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Parenting

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This is a most pertinent topic to all of us parents of children of different ages! Under 24 months ⏹ From a young age, children are bombarded with technology all around them. ⏹ Parents are almost pressurised into thinking that many apps, especially interactive ones, are of educational potential. Remember though- this is a crucial stage of brain development and nothing is more important than healthy developmental activities and parent-child interaction. NO APP CAN REPLACE THIS. ⏹ The American College of Pediatrics thus recommends avoiding ALL digital media in children younger than 18 months ⏹ The only exception is video chatting with distant relatives/parents when they are travelling. ⏹ For children ages 18 to 24 months of age, if you want to introduce digital media, choose high-quality programming and use media together with your child. Avoid solo media use in this age group. The screen is NOT a babysitter. ⏹…

Children, despite being in their “carefree” stage of life, do go through plenty of hurts, struggles, and challenges. The current state of affairs in SA- which is struggling a pandemic and civil unrest simultaneously- is extremely unsettling for our kiddos- so let’s look at how to build resilience. Resilience is the ability to adapt well to adversity. Resilience does of course not take away the underlying emotional pain or sadness after a major stress or loss, but it helps us to cope. How can we help build up resilience? Encourage your children to build up a network: encourage them to connect with family and peers- even through video-chats. Feeling part of a team helps give purpose and place. Encourage your children to help others- this can be empowering. Challenge unrealistic thinking in children by asking about the ”worst case scenario” which they fear, and then discussing it step by step.…