Source - https://pixabay.com/photos/the-tablet-kids-baby-boy-gadgets-5017872/
When I was a child most mothers were home with their children. Brothers and sisters spent a lot of time with each other and with other kids in their neighbourhood. We were outside, building forts, climbing trees and playing every outdoor games that we can. Then we switched to winter gear and did pretty much the same thing. We did not spend our time inside, ever. Inside was a punishment to us.
I know of modern kids who are never outside, who have never climbed a tree or built a fort or played outdoor games. We would leave our houses and go for adventure in the big city independently. We spent time with our parents of course but we also had a lot of independent time when we explored and went on adventures by ourselves.
This was so important. The modern child spends huge amounts of time in front of a TV, or a computer or an iPad being inactive and frankly producing very little. I wonder do brothers and sisters play much together these days? How much do they take care of their younger brothers and sisters? My sister was a second mother to me and she is five years elder than me. She loved taking care of me and it taught me a lot. Do modern kids have that opportunity or are their little brothers and sisters off to daycare all day?
Qualities that children may lack, as compared to children who grew up in the past
I worry how modern children can have a love of nature and an affinity for animals when they spend so little time in contact with nature. I worry that modern children have such scheduled lives that they have no time for adventure, exploration or discovery. These things are the heart and soul of what being a kid is all about. I worry that modern children are exposed to so much "adult content" and abnormal adult behaviour via, TV, movies and the internet that they may end up with a very confused idea of right and wrong. I noticed when I go to plays and movies that youngsters in the audience often cheer the villains or sneer at real moments of tenderness. I have often seen some small kids try to become a cool dude by misbehaving with others or saying something which they don't even know what the word actually means.
Why is this so?
Things have come so easily for kids now, I feel the sense to appreciate is really lacking in children. They also are not as sensitive to other’s feelings and the need to care and share is not as deep.
But on the other hand their are some children who haven't ‘lack’ qualities and values. I think that they lack, often, the experiences which provide the opportunities to develop them.
How to keep them away from gadgets and encourage unstructured time
Moving away from gadgets is tough for everyone these days, but we can introduce outdoors and other interesting activities to children early on, they will enjoy gadget free time.
Academic activities might become uninteresting for the child. Activities with no predetermined outcome, will come as a breath of fresh air to them. It will ignite their curiosity to learn.
We should always be active,and should believe spending time in nature as it empowers us.