A group of researchers have conducted a study on this action and have determined that without realizing it, parents are seriously affecting the personality development of their children.
Those who are fortunate enough to be parents surely know how complicated and also desperate it can be to have to calm down a child when he is angry, crying or throwing a tantrum. Most aren't sure what they really want or just don't take the time to find out and the easiest thing to do is give them something to entertain them and stop their maddening behavior.
A candy and even a toy seem like good options, however, what about those parents who choose to lend them their cell phone or tablet? For those parents who think that giving them an electronic device is the solution, I have a simple suggestion: stop doing it immediately!
A group of researchers have conducted a study on this action and have determined that without realizing it, parents are seriously affecting the personality development of their children.
Being parents will never be easy, but it would be good to practice parenting more and strengthen ties with them, not alienate them with those actions that in the long run could cause irreversible damage to them.
Unfortunately, more and more parents are turning to this "solution" when they no longer know what to do with their children's attitude. They easily give up and do not opt for the option of trying to reassure them, talk to them or comfort them, they just go for the "easy way out". However, they ignore that this act of surrender will only bring consequences that they are not visualizing today.
JAMA Pediatrics revealed a study where they focused on this issue, reporting that the most common thing for parents is to relax/calm the little ones using the TV, a cell phone, computers or tablets and it all follows that they actually have very little control about them and don't know how to deal with their energetic temperament.
Boston University doctor Jenny Radesky, author of said study, revealed that she has warned parents many times that this action is wrong, because in addition to truncating personality development, they are also affecting language development, since the child spends more time playing with gadgets than interacting with people.
There are people who contrast this version saying that the use of smartphones and tablets helps children to speak and improve their vocabulary, however, Radesky countered arguing the following: ¨if these devices become a common method to calm and distract children Children, will they be able to develop their own self-regulation mechanisms? Definitely wanting to "distract" children who get bored or cry with a device prevents them from generating their own personal form of entertainment.
However, and despite contradictions, Dr. Radesky pointed out that the abuse of these devices during childhood could interfere with their development of empathy, their social skills and problem solving, which are generally obtained from exploration, games are not structured and interaction with friends.
Thus, we can determine that giving our children an electronic device to reassure them is definitely not the best option. Whether they calm down depends on you and their abilities. The best option is to try to calm them down through words, listen to them and attend to them, since these in turn will improve their anxieties and they will learn to control themselves little by little. It may take time, but no path is easy when it's really worth it.
And you, how do you calm your children?