Shut Down to Tune In
Let's face it, life is different from when we were kids. No matter what your age, when you grew up, technology was not as ever present, all consuming and as easily accessible as it is today. Don't get me wrong, much of technology is positive. It keeps us connected to loved ones far away, we can gather information in a second and are able to catch all of life's moments with the touch of a button. But what about the downside? Have you thought about your electronic use and how it may be negatively impacting your child's speech and language skills?
On a daily basis I see parents "connecting" with their device while missing prime opportunities to connect with their child. When you're pushing the stroller, are you talking on the phone or texting? If you answered YES, you're missing an opportunity to connect with your child. You're missing a moment that could build their language, vocabulary and literacy skills. PLEASE, PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY! Go ahead, you can do it...take a deep breath, put your phone in the diaper bag or better yet, shut it completely down and put it away! :-) But here's the tricky part, when it rings, beeps, vibrates or jingles...ignore it. That's right, ignore it! This is your protected time with your child. When the phone calls your name-you know that overwhelming feeling to quickly check Facebook or your emails-stop what you're doing, take three deep cleansing breathes and say to yourself, "I can listen to the message later" or "Rarely do events need my immediate attention", or you can try "My time with my child is more important than whatever is trying to grab my attention". You CAN do this! All it takes is the willingness and practice.
Now that you're phone is away and you're able to connect, pay attention to your child's interests. Are they looking at a bird. Stop pushing and say, "bird, the bird is blue". Then keep walking. Simple, right? Guess what, you've just added to their receptive vocabulary, taught them the color blue and shown them how to say a simple sentence when they're ready. Now what are they looking at or pointing to? Label that as well. Every once in a while ask a question such as, "what does the bird say?" or "what colors is the bird?". Be sure that you're not asking too many questions or it will feel like a test. Now try the same technique while you're playing at the park, giving your child a bath or in the grocery store with your child. The opportunities to Shut down and Tune In are endless!
Children from birth to 5 learn new words from hearing them over and over and over again, in context. They connect to and learn words faster for the things that catch their interest. When my son was about 18 months, he knew the name of every type of truck imaginable. I had to study just to keep up with his interest! And he learned the names simply from me talking about them while we passed them on the street, when we passed a construction site and from reading books about them. Ahh, speaking of books...well that's another post for another day. Stay tuned for my suggestions to keep book reading fun and interesting. Coming soon! In the meantime, practice shutting down and tuning in with your child. You won't regret it!
(And in case you're wondering, this is a front loader, or more affectionately known as a digger that my son is sitting on!)
