Please Put It Down

Parents, please pay attention to your kids and take away whatever electronic gadgets  they have in their hands.

The irony is we want our children to catch up with technology but we revert them to their own little caves totally ignorant of their surroundings.

Children are supposed to explore, run, be curious, enjoy the outdoors.
Children should open up books and let imagination take hold.
Children should socialize with other kids, play and muck about like children they are.
Children should be able to tell you about their day and how awesome everything went.

Not sit around, engrossed with whatever it is on the iPad. For hours on end.
Be it, at a restaurant.
Near a beautiful beach or pool.
At their kampungs.
In a family function.
When people come over.
At a mall.
During a vacation.
In a family roadtrip.
Or even at home.

Don't let a gadget raise your children.
Your kid runs a tantrum and you hand him an iPad.
Your kid behaves and you hand him a tablet
Your kid is fidgety and you hand him your smartphone
Your kid can't socialize and you hand him his PSP.

A gadget is not a pacifier.
It is not a babysitter.
It can not, should not substitute you.

Whatever you teach your kid, would be more valuable that what you claim your tablet is able to teach your child.

Please don't say my kids can't survive a day without their electronic thingamajigs.
Not in a proud tone.
Not even in an apolegetic tone.

We grew up fine without.

Kids are getting angrier.
Impatient.
Spoiled.
Stuck up.

Parents, get a grip.
Look at what you've turned your child into.
Take away the electronics.
Demand more respect.
Give them books.
Encourage them to look up and explore the world.
Help them make friends.
Teach them.
Play with them.
Talk to them.

I'm not being houlier than thou.
I'm not saying my children are better off.
But let's do this together.

Our children deserve more from us. From themselves.

We talk about making the world a better place for our children.
Why not make our children better people for the world.