Blog

The advent of technology has undeniably brought about numerous benefits, but it has also introduced a new set of challenges. One such challenge is the excessive screen time for children, which has been linked to various physical, psychological, and social issues. Excessive screen time can lead to physical health issues in children. Prolonged periods of inactivity while engaging with screens can contribute to obesity, a growing problem among children worldwide. A study by the American Heart Association found that children who spend more than two hours a day on screen-based activities are more likely to be overweight or obese. Additionally, excessive screen time can lead to vision problems, such as digital eye strain or myopia. Secondly, too much screen time can have detrimental effects on children's mental health. Research has shown a correlation between excessive screen time and increased levels of anxiety and depression in children. For instance, a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports found that children who spend more than seven hours a day on screens are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety than those who spend an hour.

Books are often the first exposure to the world beyond the immediate environment for many children. They introduce children to different cultures, ideas, and perspectives, thereby broadening their horizons and stimulating their imagination. For instance, reading fairy tales like 'Cinderella' or 'Snow White' transports children to a magical world, creating vivid memories that they cherish throughout their lives.

An uncle reads to his two year old nephew

Uncle reading to niece and nephew

Today I have yet another Kobi Yamada book. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know how much I love his What Do You Do With.. series (if not go back and have a look) This book has a little different feel to it. While most of his books are more mono chromatic with just little hints of color, Adelina Lirius brings a rich, full pallet to The Candy Dish. It also as a bit more words and, I think, is geared towards a little older child. I bought this book for my Niece. She’s in a kind of awkward book gap. She loves books and she starting to read pretty well, but the books for her reading level, lets face it, most of them are pretty bad. She still loves picture books, but she doesn’t want to feel like a baby she wants to read something a little more sophisticated. I’ve been really putting some effort into trying to find books to fill this age gap. The Candy Dish is perfect. The story has depth and beautify. It illuminates a life lesson that will serve a child well their whole life in an easily digestible way. The language is easy enough for a 7 year old to read but sophisticated enough that it still provides a beautiful literary experience. I need to find more books like the Candy Dish both for my Niece and the Little Skipper, who is also 7. As soon as I do I’ll tell you about them here. If you know of such a book. Why don’t you tell us about it in the comments.

Humans are hard wired for pattern recognition. We look for patterns everywhere. It saves our brains time and processing power and it helps us predict the future. Pattern recognition can be a powerful and amazing things. But, it is not without danger. We predict our patters by filtering our thoughts through our previous experiences. While this is efficient it can create grooves. Grooves in our thought patterns that are hard to jump. It is hard to think of something new or bring change into the world if your thoughts are stuck deep in grooves seeing the world in the same way. That is why I love talking to children. Their grooves are shallow or non existent. That kind of freedom of thought is a beautiful thing. It allows kids to see the world an ways that are difficult for us adults. Its a thing that can change the world. It’s a thing we should nurture in our children. Manolo and the Unicorn by Jackie Azura ad Jonah Kramer with illustrations by Zach Manbeck does this beautifully. It follows a little boy on his journey thought his imagination and understanding of what is possible. A journey that is hijacked by his classmates. Spoiler alert_ Manolo is able to return to he journey of imagination and learn truths and gain understanding about himself; truths and understanding that he shares with his classmates. This book champions the exploration of self. I believe if we encourage that in our children the world will be a better and more magical place.