Mary Manz Simon's Blog, page 27

Shifting the screen balance

September means it’s time for the perennial fall balancing act.

Homework enters the picture for kids who’ve spent the summer playing video games, using social media and watching other screen-based entertainment. Nearly half of students rely on some type of electronic gadget for homework.

Electronic devices have a place, but a bigger challenge is to include tech-free family time in busy schedules.

Lunch box chips

School started weeks ago in some areas, so trends are already emerging in lunch boxes.

What’s popular?

Chips. But potato chips have gone way beyond crinkle cut and thinly sliced salty crunches.

Even kids are packing bean chips, jicama chips, bean chips and rice chips.

Moms are looking for kid friendly flavors in snackable formats.

Tech savvy=Smart?

Tech gives kids a head start. At least according to a recent study, that’s common thinking among parents.

And it is pretty amazing to see an 18 month old swish across a tablet or respond to the dancing images.

Researchers say 2 out of 3 preschoolers have access to a tablet, but parents don’t have an automatic love affair with tech. They worry about exposure to inappropriate content.

That’s a preventable problem. It simply won’t happen when the tablet is only used with mom or dad.

As an early childhood educator, I still need to ask, “What would a young children be doing if he wasn’t playing on a tablet? Would he be learning to ride a bike? drawing pictures with sidewalk chalk? setting the table for supper?

Safety first

Hearing the whistle from a school crossing guard is a sure sign school is back in session.

But the shrill sound of a whistle, shiny badges or neon tape strips on uniforms hasn’t been enough to protect ever-faithful guards from the danger of distracted drivers.

That’s the reason those helping your child cross the street might be wearing the latest protective gear: vests that light up. The vests, which can be controlled by a push button, flash running red lights to increase visibility.

Your kids will remember this!

End the summer with a blaze out light: serve glow-in-the-dark treats.

Instagram started the trend of sharing eye-catching, extreme, over-the-top desserts.

This summer, Disney added their own touch: theme parks served cotton candy at the top of a flashing wand, which produced a glow that caused the spun sugar to light up.

Now there’s been an explosion of glow-in-the-dark snacks including light up popcorn and gelato. What a great conclusion to summer!

Gender neutral?

Reports of recent research indicate that kid media continues to reinforce gender stereotypes.

That’s happening in spite of Nickelodeon’s initiative to promote empowerment and inclusiveness….and gender-neutral licenses like Minions, Lego, Minecraft, etc…and Target removing pink and blue backgrounds from toy shelves.

Change happens at hyperspeed in so many aspects of life, but attitudes are so deeply ingrained…

Customizing education

Customization has been embraced as a cultural value.

I guess it’s not surprising, then, that personalizing education is becoming more common.

This fall, an increased number of students will combine online learning with traditional instruction. This blended approach not only seems natural to parents who grew up with technology, but preferred, as our world becomes more digitally driven.

Alternative approaches to education are intended to meet the needs of students with varied learning styles. Now we’ll see if that happens.

Cookie cutter Ken?

Diversity and inclusion have caught up to Ken: the pop culture icon best known as the boyfriend of the Barbie doll, has undergone a major makeover.

Ken, in what Mattel is calling the “New Crew,” comes in 15 varieties. Simply choose your shape, size and color.

The “Alexafication” of your child

Is your child polite to Siri or Alexa?

Those virtual assistants respond with age-appropriate answers, but manners are missing.

When your child talks to a virtual assistant, there are no manners on either end of the conversation. Does this mean our manner-deficient society will become even less polite as your children grow up?

That’s a risk, as even young children give orders to Alexa and other virtual assistants.

We don’t know how children will be impacted by “ambient computing,” as the industry refers to conversing with screenless devices, but in the meantime, we can all be proactive and model good manners.

Pushing the envelope

Seriously, do we need a salt shaker that plays music and a toaster that prints today’s weather forecast on bread?

Gadgets can make life easier, but we’re failing to ask a basic question: “Does this gimmick add value to my life?”