Parenting has always been challenging. We feel that somehow nowadays, it’s even more challenging than ever. It doesn’t make much sense as with all the technology we have today, it should be easier, right? However, the digital age does pose quite a few challenges when it comes to raising children. We need to be aware of this now more than ever as children are the future. The world in the future will depend on people who are now being raised. Not only that, but technology can also affect children negatively in so many ways. Take a look at what you can do as a parent to keep your children healthy in the digital age.

First of all, you should learn to manage screen time, as it can have detrimental effects on kids. Then, you should pay attention to your children’s physical and mental health – this is something that remains unchanged. You should promote physical activity to prevent the ever-growing issue of obesity. Moreover, we can already see the bad effects of technology on communication – kids don’t know how to communicate. So, make sure that you keep up with face-to-face communication as it’s essential. As a parent, you should foster peer socializing and also be a good role model. It doesn’t have much effect if you want your children to do one thing and you do something completely opposite. 

Learn To Manage Screen Time

Screen time is something that should be well-managed and limited, especially when it comes to very young children. It is a well-known fact that gadgets such as computers and mobile phones emit radio-frequency and low-frequency EMR (Electromagnetic radiation) and can be carcinogenic. They can be potentially harmful if we’re too exposed to them.

Children can’t understand this, so it’s your job as a parent to limit them and not allow them to be overexposed. Not only that, but it has been also linked to various health conditions, including damage to nerves, immune system, eyes, and other parts of the body. Besides these, the use of technology and social media can also have some negative mental effects on children. For all of these reasons, you should limit screen time in order to prevent all these things from happening. 

Pay Attention to Their Physical and Mental Health

Paying attention to your children’s physical and mental health is something that doesn’t change with technology. It’s something people have always done and will continue doing. You should always observe how your kids behave and look as well as what they feel. In that way, you can notice any strange things going on. For instance, you can notice if they need an eye check-up or a dermatological exam. You should take them to regular doctor’s appointments to see if everything is alright. This is essential as you can’t really see some conditions, they can only be detected with some medical examinations. 

Visiting the dentist regularly is also key to maintaining your children’s optimal health. If you notice that your older children have misaligned teeth, you don’t need to worry as nowadays there are great solutions for that. You can consider getting an Invisalign treatment for your teen. Teens love them as they are invisible and can be taken out whenever needed. And what’s most important, they do the job of aligning teeth perfectly. 

Promote Physical Activity

Being physically inactive is closely connected to the overuse of technology. Children who are spending an excessive amount of time using their phones have been found to be more inactive. So, by limiting screen time, you can actually promote physical activity. By observing your child, you can notice its preferences and direct them to some sport you think they’ll like.

Try to get them to last at least some time to see if they really enjoy doing it. But remember that your child depends on you for that, especially at an early age. This is a key thing to have in mind when it comes to health in the digital age. What’s more, you can make doing some sports a family activity, and in that way, you’ll spend more time with your family doing something beneficial. 

Keep Up With Face-to-Face Communication

In the modern age, we are slowly losing grip on face-to-face communication. The advancements in digital technology have led to alienation among people. And this happens to people who grew up without technology. You can imagine how lack of communication will affect today’s generations.

Most of our communication is happening online, so we don’t use our communication skills as we used to. Make sure that you teach your children the value of real-life communication to your children. How can you do that? Well, by talking to them every day and by conversing together as a family. 

Foster Peer Socializing

Even though it might seem that social media promote socializing and connections, it is in fact not exactly so. Many children feel lonely as they don’t feel they really connect to their peers using social media. It seems cold and emotionless. In order to help prevent your children from feeling like this, you should foster peer socializing. Monitor how they behave with their peers and suggest some things they can do. Encourage play dates and doing activities with their friends. Only in that way will they be able to learn how to make friends and nurture those friendships. 

Be a Good Role Model

As children always copy what they see, you need to be really careful about the things you do. Even though you might think that nobody watches you, children are very intuitive and they observe what you do always. They hear you out and are willing to do what you suggest only if they see you respect that. If you say one thing and do the other, children will lose respect and potentially won’t do what you ask them to. So, be mindful and try to set a good example for your kids. 

The digital age has its benefits and drawbacks. If we are aware of them, we can focus on getting all the benefits with minimal drawbacks.