Engage With Your Children and Grandchildren

Look at these highly engaged people. They are connecting to activities and information on personal devices, for sure. 
 But what is missing in these pictures? Of course, they are not engaging with each other. How many times to you see parents interacting with their children, only to suddenly break away to answer their cell phone. How many times is this interruption really necessary or even important?

What To Do?
Life has gotten very hectic with instant connections to friends, co-workers, Internet, games and videos. How can you manage all this and still make time with your children and grandchildren a priority? Here's an easy solution...turn off your phones or devices while engaging in activities. So many times children need our full attention and real one-to-one communication. One grandmother recently mentioned her annoyance at so many mothers who are loose these precious experiences through so many cell phone interruptions. Her solution? She requires her daughter to turn off devices when they are all together. 

Why This Is Important ?
Research supports talking directly to children to engage them in thoughtful conversation. Asking them critical questions is the way to develop language and vocabulary. What do you see? Then what happened? What kinds of colors? How many? 

The advantages of good pre-school education have been in the news recently. But it may be too late by then. Studies are finding that even by 18 months children listen and learn words. This is how brain development occurs. Without it, children rapidly fall behind those who have the advantage of hearing parents talk to them. 
The degree of child development dependents on strong communication for vocabulary development. Words that are spoken directly to your infants are what build vocabulary. This "processing" is what scientists think develops brain, intellect and learning. Merely, hearing words spoken on TV, video and radio does not have the same developmental effects.

Other Ideas
You don't need special times to talk to children. In fact, everyday situations: waking, dressing, eating, moving, playing are all great times for interacting through directly talking to children. And what about those electronic devices? Use them together. Share games and activities. Phones and other devices have all kinds of engaging media: pictures, sounds, apps, video. What ever you view, interact together with the media. They can be just another opportunity to help your children and grandchildren develop to fullest potential. You will also have lots more fun in the process, building strong bonds through many interesting experiences, as well as vocabulary.

More Ideas and Activities

For more ways to encourage music and expend energy on long winter days see the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site www.grandparentsteachtoo.org.

Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest.

Article: 
"In the Beginning Was the Word," Feb 22, 2014, The Economist http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21596923-how-babbling-babies-can-boost-their-brains-beginning-was-word 
Wikimedia Commons Photos by:
Ed Yourdon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/72098626@N00/3576388263
Ant McNeill http://www.flickr.com/photos/27361344@N08/4686147794 
Gleb Kotov http://RIA%20Novosti%20archive,%20image%20#916719%20/%20Gleb%20Kotov%20/%20CC-BY-SA%203.0