Greetings

Hello everyone, welcome to our May newsletter! As always, we provide an overview of what is happening within our childcare community. This month, we will focus on fostering healthy tech habits in early childhood.

With the prevalence of digital gadgets, it has become a digital nanny for young children, helping parents keep their sanity at times. However, it is still important for parents and caregivers to understand the benefits and risks of any technology exposure for young children. More than that, instilling healthy tech habits from an early age helps preventing regressive impact on their development.

The Impact of Technology on Early Childhood

Technology can offer children unlimited sources of learning and entertainment. There are certain areas of development impacted when a child uses technology, especially at a very young age.

1. Cognitive development

There are interactive educational apps and games that facilitate the development of their problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and memory. Children using digital devices gain knowledge of cause-and-effect relationships when they press buttons and learn what happens after on the screen.

2. Language development

Digital media that encourage reading and talking such as e-books and interactive storytelling apps, can enhance a child’s vocabulary and let them explore engaging narratives and scenarios.

3. Social-emotional development

While a digital device helps a child develop in other areas, it can limit their face-to-face interaction, thereby missing social cues and body language that just won’t translate well over a digital session.

4. Physical health

Prolonged screen time can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle and may be associated with weight gain, shorter attention span, and poor sleep quality. As apps and media gain more value with children’s attention, they can overload the brain with stimulating content that continues to hook the child to prolong their engagement.

How to Develop Healthy Tech Habits

Any healthy habits towards digital device usage starts with the parents as young children’s role models. If young kids see their parents’ healthy and well-managed screen time use, it will be easier for them to follow up and pick up on the behaviour.

1. Set limits and establish routines.

Young children thrive on clearly expressed boundaries and routines. Allowing digital media usage only on certain times and having tech-free times such as family mealtimes or before bedtime helps children develop healthy digital device habits.

2. Choose high-quality content.

The internet has a lot of options for kids’ learning and entertainment but only a select few are actually worth their time. Select age-appropriate educational and entertainment content that aligns with your child’s interests and age. It’s best to try it for yourself first to ensure your kid will have a meaningful experience with the content.

3. Be as present as possible while your child is using a digital device.

While the digital devices can act as a digital nanny these days, it’s still best if a parent is right there with their child while they’re on screen time. Using digital devices as a way to bond yields more of a positive impact than letting your child explore and use the digital device on their own.

4. Model healthy tech behaviours.

Children learn best by example. If you set up time limits and device-free activities as a family, ensure you as a parent follow that rule yourself. Prioritising face-to-face interactions and doing offline activities together as a parent-child or family helps your child understand the value of being present and active over passive digital activities.

The Takeaway

There is no escaping technology and digital devices when rearing a young child in this modern society. While digital devices can act as a great supplementary device for your child’s learning, it is in no way a substitute for quality parent interaction and attention. Help your child grow and develop armed with healthy tech habits as they find their place in this world full of digital devices.

0-12 month development

Why do children laugh? It’s not always because they’re happy

Author: Carlo Valerio Bellieni

Babies do not laugh out of joy. That might sound false to any parent hearing their babies’ laughter but research suggests babies laugh as a way to imitate their parents and other adults around them. As they grow and develop a sense of self, this is when laughter becomes more spontaneous and real

Find out more about laughter’s role in different stages of a child’s development here.

1-2 year development

A nervous parent's guide to starting your baby on solid foods

Author: Andee Tagle

Switching from pure liquid food to solid foods for your child can be quite nerve-wracking. While the general advice is to start introducing solid food at about 6 months, paediatricians have put out some pointers on how to tell when it’s the best time to introduce solid food to your baby.   

Learn about the hallmarks of a baby who’s ready for some solid food here.

2-3 year development

Why is toddler milk so popular? Follow the money

Authors: Jennifer McCann, Karleen Gribble and Naomi Hull

Over a third of toddlers are now drinking toddler milk in Australia. However, research shows it’s an ultra processed milk that contains additives that are not nutritious such as vegetable oil and added sugars. However, research has shown toddler milk is not really providing benefits nutritionally especially if the child already has a varied diet.

Read on more about why toddler milk has become a de facto part of a toddler’s diet here.

3-4 year development

Helping children eat healthier foods may begin with getting parents to do the same, research suggests

Authors: Kelley Gullo Wight and Peggy Liu

Parents always have their children’s nutritional needs in mind. That is why most parents tend to choose their meal as a backup option for their children in case the children’s healthier meal isn’t up to their liking. However, research shows that healthier meal choices made by parents for themselves speaks more in influencing their children into having healthier diets.

Read more about this food & health research here.

4-5 year development

‘How long before climate change will destroy the Earth?’: research reveals what Australian kids want to know about our warming world

Authors: Chloe Lucas, Charlotte Earl-Jones, Gabi Mocatta, Gretta Pecl, Kim Beasy, and Rachel Kelly

Children rarely find their voices heard when it comes to climate changes but researchers sought them out specifically to learn what their views are. Responses out of the survey revealed a much deeper and keener thought process children have about the changing climate. But rather than the source of it, children are much more concerned about its impact on their future. 

Find out more about what children think about climate change here.

Bubble Painting with Bubble Blowers

Young bubs will have a blowout fun with this bubble painting. Combining bubble mixture and food colouring, kids can create mind blowing art paintings. This activity will help children learn their colours more, experimenting to see what colours emerge by mixing basic ones.

Find the instructions on how to start bubble painting here.

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Learn more about the concepts and topics that can be discussed in this activity here.

Easy Heart Pump for Kids

Get children thrilled with how our hearts work by creating this easy heart pump for kids. Using basic tools including straws, balloons, jars and food colouring, kids can create a visual project, seeing how coloured water moves through straws fashioned as veins. 

Read more on how to conduct this easy heart pump experiment here.

Sensing with your Feet!

When talking about senses, our sense of feel is often relegated to hands and its dexterity. However, our feet can also be as sensitive. In this activity, test children’s feet sensitivity and help them become more aware of their skin sensitivity.

Read about the discussion tips and instructions of this sensitivity project here.