Musings from the Wine Aisle

I was in the packie (that’s Massachusetts talk for a liquor store) today – gasp! – and I watched a mom perusing the chardonnay aisle while her toddler rode in the carriage holding mom’s phone in one wobbly and chubby little hand.  I was so tempted to engage the little guy in a game of peek-a-boo so he would have to drop the phone but he was so rapt and mesmerized by what was on the screen that he wouldn’t have noticed anyway.  Children learn about the world around them by participating in it.  They can’t do that if they’re glued to a phone.  Adults should TALK to children as they shop (even in the packie!) and go about their daily business.  This is how they learn.  

It isn’t easy folks – we get it!  We understand that with your busy, stressful lives, sometimes you need a minute to de-stress. That said, it’s important to recognize that children are missing out on meaningful conversations and learning experiences because they have their faces glued to a screen. Children need connections to grow and thrive. 

Here are some quick, easy activities that can be done while running errands, at an appointment or while dining at a restaurant.

·       Play “I Spy”

·       Give them a small notebook or post-it notes to ‘take notes’

·       Have them hold a checklist to check off errands and items purchased

·       Small clipboard to hold coupons, lists, checklists

·       Instead of looking at a screen, let them “listen” to children’s music or a story 

·       Make up a story about things around you

·       I am going on a picnic and I am bringing…

·       Can you find something that is green?  Shaped like a circle? 

·       Send them on scavenger hunts (as long as it’s safe and appropriate)

·       Play a rhyming game, see how many words they can come up with that rhyme 

·       Let them weigh things, hold bags for you, be helpful

·       Just talk to them…

And…….this is especially good for restaurants, doctor’s offices (the toys and books that might be there are likely germy!) or other times when kids may be expected to wait – OR for those parents who work from home and need to focus without distraction from the kiddos:

Fill a lunchbox with manipulative toys (little figures, small legos, stickers, paper, crayons, playdough, etc.) and a snack or two (small box of raisins, juice box) and only take it out when you’re on the phone or at an appointment, restaurant, etc. so that the kids are excited to use it.  Make a couple and keep one in the van and one at home for phone or conference call times – switch out the items often!