This is making you weak

My daughter loves books.

Every day, we read stories to her. Typically at bedtime. And often, she asks for us to read her some books during the day as well.

She also likes watching a few cartoons or movies on our iPad since we don´t have a television set.

I wonder what´s the balance between reading books and watching tv/screens for children nowadays…

When I was a young boy, most of my time was spent either at school, playing outside with my friends, or playing inside my own home. We did have an old tv set at home. You had to bump it hard sometimes to be able to watch something else than just static electricity. But my watch time was strictly controlled by my parents.

Today I thought that maybe, just maybe, small kids have it easier nowadays.

Streaming devices to watch whatever they want wherever and whenever they want…

Playgrounds with rubber floors…

Organic children's food…

Extremely tolerant parents and teachers…

But, is it really easier?

If you only watch cartoons or series and never read a book, you will never exercise your own imagination with stories. That´s actually disempowering.

If you never bump or scratch yourself, you might not grow as resilient and strong. Not good.

If you only eat a strictly selected diet, you don´t stress your body at all and as a consequence, you won´t strengthen it so much (I´m all for organic food though).

If you´re allowed to do anything, that means there are no real rules or boundaries.

Children and also adults actually need rules and boundaries. No society can thrive without them.

And the facilitators that we have as children, teenagers, or adults might actually just be a disadvantage in the long run. They might make us weaker. Life will surely be tough at times. Weak is not good for tough times.

So, we treat our daughter with the utmost respect for her present and for her future. That´s why we read her children´s books.

By the way, this is a piece I wrote for my daughter a couple of years ago. It´s called If only I could Fly (yes, click on it to listen).

Have a nice day.

Claudio.