Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - October 12th

I recently returned from a week with my grandchildren who live in Japan. No matter where we went or how we traveled, I rarely saw a child using a smartphone or tablet. My own grandson’s screen time is limited to watching the videos we send him of us reading books or when we visit on SKYPE. My daughter-in-law assures me that this is typical up through Middle School. 

Children’s use of technology, especially Social Media, has been in the news a great deal over the past year.¹ The research is mixed. Our smart devices, connect us with communities that provide joy, understanding, and meaning. They give us access to much of what we need and want to know. And these devices are greedy time sucks. They suffocate us with targeted advertising. For some, they provide portals for bullying and lead to devastating low self-esteem. All of the research points to the ways technology interferes with sleep. After reading through the recent research, I have a few thoughts to share with you, parents of preschool, elementary, and middle school children. 

• If you haven’t given your child a smartphone or tablet yet, delay it as long as possible. If being in touch with your child is important, there are watches that allow phone calls, limited texting and help track your child’s location. Flip phones are another great choice. 
• Before you give your child a smart device, spend time talking with them about your values and expectations. Talk through possible situations they might find themselves in and what to do. Discuss with them your rules for how they engage with and treat others in social media. Help them understand how you will support and monitor their use.
• When you finally purchase a smart device, remember it is your device. You are paying for it. Have the store set it up so that you retain control and have the parental limits in place that are important to you. 
• Regularly monitor your child’s use of their devices (computers, phones, tablets). Check their search history, and read through their texts and online posts. Have them show you what they are doing. Spend time on the device you provide them. Check-in with their friends’ parents about what they are seeing. 
• Social media is a virtual gathering space – like a room in your home or a friend's house. If you had kids in your home you would make your presence known - you would check in on them. Virtual meeting spaces need the presence of caring adults just as much, if not more. 
• Sleep is essential to mental and physical health. Screens - computers, tablets, smartphones -  interfere with sleep. The best thing you can do for your child is to keep your child’s smartphone in your room every night.  And don’t let them have a computer in their room either.

Warmly,

Margaret Haviland

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Announcements:

• Monday, October 16th, 7:00pm Bidding ends on the Golf Outing Auction Catalog - be sure to check out the many items to choose from, including outdoor adventures, autographed Eagles footballs (Go Birds!), golf, basketball, and baseball outings, and more! Something for everyone.
• October 18th, Westfield Celebrates Unity Day
• October 25th Fall Parent Conference Day. No classes. Look for more information from your child’s teacher
• October 28, 10-12 noon Family Council Boooth Bash
• October 30, Preschool 3 Halloween Parade
• Octover 31st, Preschool 2 Halloween Parade, Grades Prek-8th, Halloween Guessing and Pumpkin Decorating
• November 2nd, Family Council Meeting on ZOOM

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