With kids out of school and at home looking for things to do, don't
settle for them spending hours playing video games, surfing the
Internet, watching friends' posts on Facebook or talking on the smart
phone. Instead, spend some time checking out ways to help them escape
and get involved in life outside the box.
They will be grown and
may be busy with their own new family and even in another state before
you know it. So capture your time together now and treasure it!
Check out your local museums for special exhibits over the holidays.
Check out local community theater for neat shows your children might enjoy.
Catch a local production of the Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol.
Attend a house of worship for a special holiday event.
Go to a nearby park and sled, skate board, roller skate, play street hockey, or just take a leisurely stroll together.
Shovel snow with them or make snowballs or a snow man if you are lucky enough to have snow.
Drive around and see the Christmas lights at night in the neighborhood.
Read a good Christmas tale aloud.
Build a fire and share stories by the flickering light.
Sing carols together.
Play a favorite Christmas album and sing or dance along.
Shop together for gifts
and forget the surprise element so that you can spend more time together
shopping and so that everyone gets exactly the model of digital device
they want!
And cook together. Have
each person choose a recipe and prepare them all in the kitchen
together, each working on their own recipe. It's a blast!
If your child thinks
your selection is just too corny, go ahead and plead that they do it for
your sake. We parents have some prerogatives even with older kids! They
will usually admit afterwards that it was a fine experience.
Besides the inherent
value of grabbing more time together and reconnecting, sharing your
stories, global philosophies, and laughs, pulling them away from the
digital devices has great physical, emotional, and even mental benefits
to their health.
Studies are mounting
showing that in young people, depression, dissatisfaction with life,
anxiety, poor academic performance, and lack of concentration are all
associated with heavy cell phone use. It is easy to say that more time
at the cell phone obviously means less time studying, but researchers
have even considered that and found that there is a stronger association
than just the time lost factor.
For xample, a study of
college students back in 2007 found a strong positive correlation
between Internet and cell phone use on the one hand and anxiety and
insomnia on the other. The researchers summarized the study as
demonstrating promising tools for assessing "these new behavioral
addictions."
A 2012 study found that
young people had more sleep disturbances, stress and other mental health
problems. This study was done at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
They conducted four studies including 4,100 young adults aged 20-24.
According to one of the researchers, "Regularly using a computer late at
night is associated not only with sleep disorders but also with stress
and depressive symptoms in both men and women." The study found that a
combination of heavy use of both the computer and cell phone
strengthened the link between ICT (information and communication
technology) and sleep problems and depression.
As for serious problems
of physical health, there are numerous studies which have shown that
frequent use of cell phones, especially close to the head or carried
near the waist, are associated with increased likelihood of brain
cancer, infertility, and other scary problems.
A year ago, Pembroke
Pines Florida passed an ordinance warning residents of the dangers of
cell phone use after hearing testimony from a lawyer who realized that
the cancers in his hand, the side of his head, and his hip were directly
associated with his cell phone use with that hand, his ear on that side
of his head, and the pocket by that hip. The city is recommending that
residents keep their phone at least one inch from their bodies and use
text, email or speakerphone in preference to holding the phone near
their bodies.
As Nikken consultants,
my partners and I regularly have folks test their strength either
holding their cell phone or holding something else. Their strength is
dramatically reduced when holding the phone, especially if it is turned
on. But even when turned off it is ready to receive incoming calls, so
it is actively in the matrix of radiofrequency waves surrounding us all
the time now. The good news is that if you add to your body a balancing
magnetic device, like Nikken insoles, or bracelet or neck band, the
effect of the cell phone is diminished. But it is best to expose
yourself as little as possible to the unnatural waves coming from these
devices.
They also heat up the
brain. "Frying the brain" can't be good. Though important, the
measurements now required for rating cell phones today only refer to
this heating effect. We still don't get any information about individual
cell phones and the other effects of their emissions.
Consider attaching a blocker to the ear piece of your phone. An inexpensive but well tested on is available at www.waveshield.com. I interviewed Shelly Kalnitsky on my radio show Family First. You can listen to the interview at my website, www.randyrolfe.com.
Also, if you are not using Nikken products already and want more
information about them, please call me or visit my Nikken website at www.nikken.com/randyrolfe.
It may seem that we are
just being negative about a new technology. But it is known that it can
take 10 to 20 years for cancers to develop so precautions now are better
than waiting to see what happens to our loved ones 10 to 20 years from
now. And there are enough results already to convince me to be on my
guard.
An MTV study released
this summer found that young millenials were looking for better privacy
in their social media. So the younger set seems to be wising up to the
stressful aspects of their new-found communication tools. The results of
the study surprised even MTV. They found that 14-17 year olds were
pulling away from Facebook and seeking more private networks for
communicating. The study also found that the kids were "taking time to
disconnect, de-stress, de-stimulate and control inputs." They found some
respondents who were said to be "monotasking."
Let the children lead the way.
Randy Rolfe's Take Home Tips: There is no substitute for you the parent. That proposition is my passion! So when your kids are home, include them as much as you can in everything you do, participate in whatever they are doing if they let you, and plan on doing nothing together often! Have a fantastic winter vacation!
