Similarly, if you want your munchkin to be empathetic and altruistic, you have to put in the time and energy to set a good example. You could volunteer for a cause together. Or you could donate some toys or food to the needy during the holidays. However you approach this question, you need to show that it’s part of your actual lifestyle.
One issue that many modern parents run into is the amount of time that their children spend in front of screens. Most folks would probably prefer their kids to use their free time differently. Whether that’s being outside, making new friends, learning new skills, etc. However, the CDC reports that kids aged 8 to 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of screens every day. More than half of this time (4.5 hours) is spent watching TV.
The recommended amount of time that kids should spend being physically active, according to the CDC, is at least an hour each day. Time spent on social media, playing video games, and binging videos is time that could be spent on being active, socializing, reading, and learning new skills. But parents cannot expect their kids to have healthy boundaries with tech if they don’t set a proper example.
Why should a kid get off TikTok or Instagram if their parents spend all of their spare time glued to screens themselves? The parents themselves have to be physically active, eat healthy, be social and kind, and have a ‘can do’ attitude. Without all of this, their children will probably default to whatever they see being practiced at home or online.
Which of these childhood stories did you enjoy the most? Do you have any similar experiences that you'd like to share with everyone? What do you miss about your childhood the most, dear Pandas? Scroll down to the comment section and share your thoughts with us.