For the past few months, as parents, have been stuck at home. Staying safe and trying to keep our heads above water. Working… for those who still have jobs and who can. Juggling chasing “pepper” and keeping our kids learning in some form or the other. Ensuring they are entertained…. to keep the peace, keep them safe from catching COVID-19.
The quest for this engagement and some sanity around the house may have led the best of us parents to resort to screens to baby – sit our children. Are we trading our children’s safety for a few hours of reprieve?
“Wifi kids and Analogue Parents” begins immediately with relatable , shocking and sometimes funny accounts. Tales of the first time parents where confronted with the issue that their kids may have been exposed to something inappropriate for their age.
First impressions can be deceptive….
At first glance you think its about the dangers of electronic devices. Nope, it goes further, delving into communication with children and sexual education.
“Wifi Kids And Analogue Parents” explores the risks of exposure to sexual and financial exploitation, aggressive behaviour in children, addiction. It outlines the physical and mental health hazards and antisocial behaviour associated with exposure to electronic media.
Just in case you stumbled on the book, she spells out the dangers and strategies used by predators online on unsuspecting minors.
The book does a sweep through all the social platforms… just in case you are very very analogue, sorry I mean behind the times. She does this analysis for each platform, citing real life accounts from parents she interviewed as case studies.
She doesn’t leave you hanging. The author painstakingly lists concrete steps. Interestingly, she shares adaptive strategies for protecting your children from themselves and potential predators in a fast changing world.
Reading through it was as though I was chatting with a friend.
I was left with some requests though…
- How do you protect your child from the screens on devices of relatives, domestic staff and friends?
- Where do you draw the line?
- I wish she went into details about the cartoon with sexual innuendos . This was from a case study she cited. I’m curious to know which cartoon it was, but I’ll do my research.
Taking charge…
The introduction suggests that even thinking about reading this book means you are an intentional parent. Are you an intentional parent?
TEMI OLAJIDE is a Certified Child Sleep/Potty Training Consultant and Child Psychologist, and Nigeria’s first Child Sleep Consultant.
She’s the founder of Mummyclinicc, which hosts an online platform that provides strategies and result-driven solutions to the challenges of child rearing in the digital age.
