PAT Group Connection Meets, Learns Positives and Negatives of Technology
“Screen Time…SCREAM Time” was the title of the extremely informative Parents as Teachers Group Connection presented by the Parent Educators themselves. They discussed the research on the effects of technology on children of all ages—the positive as well as the negative.
Technology is another “member of the family” in every household—the cell phone, iPad, television, video games, computer and movies all direct our lives. Understanding how to best use these tools to their best advantage, as well as ours, is very important.
The Parent Educators were happy to gather the research and inform a well-attended group of parents who wanted to know what they could do now, while their children were young to support the healthy use of technology. The Parent Educators reported on the influence of technology on children’s cognitive, language, fine motor, gross motor and social-emotional development as well as: pregnancy, attachment, safety, nutrition, sleep, discipline, transitions and routines. Parents left with a vast array of information as well as resources for making good choices when using technology.
A salad and pizza dinner was served, compliments of the PAT Program. Oakridge Restaurant donated a generous door prize which was dinner for a family of four. Several H-E-B gift cards were also door prizes. Free babysitting for the families was donated by Devon Hoskins and Marli Ketchum.
Parents who attended reported the information was excellent and gave them a lot of food for thought, as well as a topic for family discussion – just what the PAT Educators were hoping for. The PAT office was delighted to get a text the next morning from a parent attendee who already made a morning change in their routine by turning off the TV and letting the children be creative with blocks instead.
The Parents as Teachers Program will continue to offer more excellent and informative parenting information sessions monthly. Call the PAT office at (979) 743-6584 for further information about these upcoming sessions.