I Took YouTube Away from my Kids for a Week, and This is What Happened

I Took YouTube Away from my Kids for a Week, and This is What Happened. This isn't another post on limiting screen time, or I'm a Better Than You Postal service…

In the event that this post gets shared on social media, I want to be completely upwards forepart with those of yous who are visiting my blog for the beginning fourth dimension. I write from passion, heart, and experience. I'm non a perfect mom. I'm not a perfect writer, and I'g sure as heck non a child psychologist. Just I practice speak from the heart, and admire sharing what I love and am passionate almost. My children are by far i of those things that I'1000 passionate about, so here I become…

I Took YouTube Away from my Kids for a Calendar week, and This is What Happened

Don't worry, this isn't a blog post nearly "spend more time with your children," and how you should become on the "limit electronic time" train.

And I'm likewise not maxim avoid electronics. It's inevitable. Information technology'southward where the world is going. I'm an advocate for online presence and we use information technology daily in our dwelling house.

I'm not maxim avoid YouTube. Heck, I take a YouTube aqueduct and MY KID fifty-fifty has a YouTube aqueduct. So don't hear what I'm not saying…

We can't avoid YouTube. We can't avoid electronics. But when our children are just that—children—and they are unable to brand rational decisions on their own while their tiny little brains are however forming and learning… it'southward fourth dimension we arrive affect with what we want influencing our children.

The Free Babysitter

Truly, I put YouTube in front of my kids (ages 6 and 3) at times as a babysitter. It'south amazing. I'm able to clean the house, attend a quick coming together, make dinner, get some piece of work done with petty interruption. Still, when I take information technology abroad, the iPad goes dead, or we forget it for a long car ride, the "gimmies" brand an appearance. The whining amplifies. The ungratefulness soars.

Then I began to notice where the gimmies started rising to the surface on a high level. I began to picket, observe, have notes and become enlightened of when the bratty attitude started showing more than.

Friends, it was when my half-dozen year old had control of what he could pick and watch on YouTube (and yes, fifty-fifty YouTube Kids).

I took YouTube abroad from them for a calendar week, and the difference in beliefs was incredible. Respect started showing support, the gimmies weren't as plentiful, and the whining subsided. Not kidding. Coincidence? Maybe. Only maybe not.

Kids on YouTube

SOME kids on YouTube are the stars of the show. They talk dorsum to parents, get what they want by whining and complaining, and the parents permit it happen. Why? Because (are you fix for this?)it sells. (YES. If yous did not know that YouTube makes coin for some of these people on YouTube… you know at present.)

They know exactly what they're doing by giving kids what they want to sentinel. Kids at a young age are learning independence, seeing what they tin get abroad with. So watching a young boy or daughter on TV gain that independence by telling mommy "Meh, I don't desire that, I want this and I'k getting it," is our child'due south preferred behavior and they thrive on seeing someone similar them get what they want.

• Endless amounts of toys

• "I want to get to McDonalds" OK!

• "I don't want to Mommy!" — Ok sweetie. It's your show. Whatever yous want.

Impressionable Actions

You Can't Avert the Influence in Life

Our young children are so impressionable, and they learn by seeing. They learn by action. When they spend and so much time watching a young kid on TV rima oris back to his/her parents, whine, complain, get all of these fabulous toys… what do you lot think our children are soaking in and learning?

I could have fifty talks with my boys every single solar day near of import roles in life, and nearly topics that I call up volition influence them in a good way. Just when they run into someone their age getting whatever they want by interim an cool way on their favorite YouTube channel, over and over and over over again (because allow's face information technology: our kids lookout the same videos over and over once more, yes!?), yous might every bit well throw everything I said to them away.

"Alright Then, So What Should They Spotter?"

"Okay so Jessica, what should they lookout man? Or should they not sentry it at all?"

Well that'southward up to you. The parent. The adult. The decision maker of the household.

If  you lot love the ease and convenience of YouTube, then maybe consider what evidence/channel you desire influencing your child. Is it the Berenstein Bears? A kid who is amazing at scientific discipline and does science experiments? Bible stories? Is it videos to prep him/her for the side by side school year?

It's up to you. This isn't a "I'm a meliorate mom than you are blog post," that tells yous what yous should practise.

If you like the ease and convenience of YouTube and how information technology holds the attending span of your kiddo… fabulous. But maybe consider what they're watching, and consider how whatever they're watching is influencing and education our kids how to live and learn.

For me, I'll continue to let them lookout man YouTube. I'll only be more selective of what they lookout man. Afterward our YouTube intermission last week, this week I reintroduced information technology and let them watch videos on kindergarten lessons. Subsequently a quick "Mom, this will be tedious," they were soon sharing their excitement for how they learned to add together and subtract! Bonus!

Permit the "Perfect" Parents Polish…

Now, some volition argue this and say:

"Well it'due south all in the parenting. Nosotros tin't avoid this stuff, and it's upward to us as parents to teach what's right and wrong."

Yep, I agree with you 100%. But why can't we at least tackle some of what we know may be causing some of the non-preferred behavior upfront, instead of going back to try and erase it later? I'm a huge fan of using the term "baby steps." We don't take to conquer the earth all at once, or detect 1 major life irresolute tactic that will turn our children into perfect adults. Just we can practice baby steps, and pocket-size bits along the way to ameliorate aspects in our lives. So why not start with something small, and with what we know causes behavior that we'd rather not see?

At that place may besides exist parents that comment below proverb:

"I knew this. I NEVER let my child choose what they want to spotter on YouTube."

…and yatta yatta yatta. Well that'south because some parents similar to hear themselves say they're doing a skilful chore, and that they knew something earlier me. Well, if that's true, yep… yous realized something before me. And Yep, you are doing a good job. How do I know? Because y'all saw a weblog post almost children and y'all came over to read information technology. You lot care for your children and want what'south best for them. That's a good job every bit a parent, right?

I'm only sharing what I have experienced in my own home, and if we really want our children to grow in to something amazing (although we can't command them, and we are certainly not perfect parents), I remember it'southward time we get in tune with our children and focus on who/what is pedagogy/influencing them how life works.

If you lot honey chats similar this about the important things in your life, then you'll Love our Creating Your Happy group over on Facebook, or communicable up on the Creating Your Happy video series here!

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Source: https://fantabulosity.com/took-away-youtube/

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