I feel so lonely. I feel like this is a lone battle, trying to convince people around me how insidious video games, mobile devices and TV shows are to children and even old people.
I was so happy to move out of my parents’ place because I no longer had to tolerate the noises from the TV box. While I could run away, I know many children are still trapped by their parents’ ignorance and reluctance to change.
I spend so much time in my job illustrating to parents that too much screen time is causing their children to be unable to focus while studying.
Watching TV is easy. Learning a new Math concept is tough. What will a child choose?
Parents hire me to help their children. However, I can’t do much if parents do not eradicate the root cause of the problem – granting too much screen time to children.
Some parents asked me what are the alternatives to video games to keep the young ones entertained when they are busy? My instinctive response is books but I learned not to let that slip out of my mouth because books are bland and dull for children who are already used to highly stimulating games. My recommendation would be to introduce different forms of games. Children like new and interesting experiences. A mix of board games and action-packed games can keep a child entertained for more than an hour. This is a huge feat for children that can only focus for at most 5 to 10 minutes when it comes to studying. If we teach children through games, their interest and engagement level would multiple which translate into more effective learning!
Over the years, I dream of bringing children outdoor to learn Science, Math, English, Chinese…However, the logistics and lack of budget always put me a few steps away from my dream.
When I had only $500 in my bank account, living under my dad’s roof, coupled with his constant disapproval of my career choice, it was a choice between getting an office job or accumulating more teaching experience while saving up for my dream. I had shown my parents that I could be financially independent with my career choice, though I often wished I could be more generous to them.
5 years down the road, I have not forgotten the goal to bring lessons outdoor for children. The road is still bumpy, but this time, I have more support from my loved ones. I know if I persist in what I believe, one day, traditional learning tools and outdoor lessons will return to be the norm once again.
If you really want to help your child, make this – SAY NO TO EXCESSIVE screen time – your imperative now!
我好无助。试图说服周围的人电脑游戏和电视节目带给孩童和乐林人士潜在地隐密危害有如一场孤独的抗斗。
我很高兴离开了父母的巢穴，因为我不再需要容忍电视盒发出的噪音。虽然我已远离了喧哗地生活环境，但我知道许多孩子仍然被父母的无知, 固执与纵容所困。
在我的工作上，我花很多时间向父母讲解，给孩子接触太多的屏幕时间是导致他们在学习时无法集中精力的主要原因。
看电视，玩游戏机轻松简单。而学习新的知识需要坚韧的意志, 持之以恒才可成功领悟。在父母的纵容下， 孩子会选择什么呢？
家长雇佣我来帮助他们的孩子进步学业成绩。但是，如果父母不对症下药，铲除祸根，我也无能为力，孩子的进步有限。
有些家长问我，如果不给孩子玩电子游戏，那要让孩子怎么消磨时间，放松心情呢？我强力推荐培养阅读的兴趣，可是对于那些已经习惯了高度刺激游戏的孩子来说，书籍平淡乏味。对于这一类的孩子，我会建议不同形式的游戏。孩子们喜欢新颖有趣的经历。比如棋盘游戏和动感十足游戏的结合，可以娱乐孩子长达一个多小时。这对一项只能集中五到十分钟的孩子来说，是极大的进步。如果我们将学习的时间，注入游戏成分时，学习就能事半功倍。
多年以来，我梦想着带孩子们到户外学习科学，数学，英语，中文……但是，由于资源和预算不足，我总是离理梦想只有几步之遥。
想当初，我银行存额仅仅只有五百新元时，我还住在父母的屋檐下，坚持追求自己的梦想，不顾父亲苦口婆心地劝告，找份稳当的工作。那是段非常艰苦的旅程。但是我熬过来了，我也证明给父母，在追求梦想之途，我也能维持经济独立状态，尽管我往往希望自己对他们能更宽裕。
在过去的5年中，我莫忘初衷，坚守推广户外教学的宗旨。道路仍然崎岖不平，但是现在唯一的不同是，我得到了亲人的支持！我知道如果我坚持自己的信念，有一天，传统的学习教学法和户外课程将重新成为常态。
如果您真的想帮助您的孩子提高学习的热忱与成果，请开始局限他们的屏幕时间。