I love this article:Have Smartphones Destroyed A Generation. Not because the content doesn't make me very concerned, and honestly, pretty sad, but because SOMEONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT. I hope it leads to change-delaying phones later and later, awareness that it is not good for little ones to be staring at screens and common rules and regulations (in school also!) that make our jobs as moms easier. This article also gives me a little more "umphhh" to be stronger than ever-and gives me some back up evidence-when talking to my older kids about cell phone use.
Just a tiny excerpt-
"There is compelling evidence that the devices we’ve placed in young people’s hands are having profound effects on their lives—and making them seriously unhappy.
The Monitoring the Future survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and designed to be nationally representative, has asked 12th-graders more than 1,000 questions every year since 1975 and queried eighth- and 10th-graders since 1991. The survey asks teens how happy they are and also how much of their leisure time they spend on various activities, including nonscreen activities such as in-person social interaction and exercise, and, in recent years, screen activities such as using social media, texting, and browsing the web. The results could not be clearer: Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on nonscreen activities are more likely to be happy."
Playing:
Janey had a birthday! We have had quiet playful mornings (or grocery shops) and are getting into a really nice routine. She loves school-so glad I waited a year-what a difference it has made!
Two things that she received for her birthday that she loves (she is at the age where she loves pretty much everything under the sun-which makes me have to restrain myself):
There is one Dad and two boys and Janey in here-but usually Janey plays with it by herself. :)
I think she has her arm around her pretend husband.
So far, this will also serve as a Halloween costume (killing two birds with one stone.)
PS. I don't have a photo of these yet, but she also received these butterfly wings-she rides her bike with them to get the full effect.
Reading:
These are our favorites right now:
I know I've mentioned this one before, but it's such a cute story, I laugh every time I read it. Poor Pointsettia just wishes for some privacy and time alone and she gets it-but finds the trade off isn't worth it.
"general misbehavior" :)
Really cute short stories, poems and rhymes-this is our bedtime book right now.
I am reading this book and absolutely loving it:
It is very very thought provoking and inspirational, and honestly has helped me so much feel more content in life and well, happier. This is one of those books I'd like to remember to reread every year. Funny but with lots and lots of wisdom and very practical.
“Because gratitude is the key to happiness, anything that undermines gratitude must undermine happiness. And nothing undermines gratitude as much as expectations. There is an inverse relationship between expectations and gratitude: The more expectations you have, the less gratitude you will have.”
The Atlantic article made me nervous too. It defined what I think many moms feel is happening with statistics and studies. And "this is the house of mistress mouse" is dog-eared in our storybook because my preschooler requests it every night at bedtime :).
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