“Raising my 12-year-old in a gadget-free environment”

Many parents believe that we are in the digital age, with information at the tip of our fingers and knowledge readily available that can help our children grow into smarter and intellectual individuals.

However, I beg to differ. Raising children in an environment filled with gadgets is counter-productive. Instead of offering information in real-time, gadgets are more likely to reduce children’s and adult’s attention span and retention capacity. I prefer to be traditional when it comes to my child’s interaction with gadgets and that has been working quite well so far.

So how am I raising my 12-year-old in a gadget free environment despite the need to stay connected at all times?

Let her imagination work for her

Many parents can go back to their childhood and remember relying on their imaginations to build stories, warrior scenarios and so much which they would later enact with their friends. This sort of imagination allows the child to be engaged and not rely on external elements like gadgets. It not only helps my child build her mental power but also boosts her creativity which I encourage her to share with me.

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