Melanie_Alnwick's Blog

Ok, I admit it... I'm feeling guilty.  Guilty that I don't let my toddlers play with my iMac.  Guilty that my kids don't play video games.  Guilty that they're not enrolled in super-enrichment programs.   This feeling creeps up every once in a while -- and it came up again as I was out doing my story on Tech Toys for Tots.   Today's preschoolers, it seems, are quite adept in the ways of computers, digital cameras, mp3 players, and more.   Those tech items are the hot sellers for the 3 and over set this holiday season.  I had to wonder... am I doing my kids a disservice by not getting them technologically geared up?   But then I came back and read some studies by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Key points:  "Play and unscheduled time are important components of social-emotional learning".  "There is no scientific evidence to suggest that any toy is necessary or sufficient for optimal learning".  Perhaps the most important point... that no matter what the toy... low-tech or high-tech... what matters most is that parents participate in play with their children.     So, I guess I'll start letting my kids tinker with the computer.   But I'll have to make time to explore it with them. (they'll probably end up teaching me a thing or two!)