Quineloe
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Khane
Got something right about marriage
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Alright it's that time of year again and I need some input on Christmas gifts for my niece who will be 2 in May. I already know I'm getting her a toddler golf set because Uncle Khane loves to golf and I'm going to try to plant that seed early so we can go out together when she's old enough. I also have my eye on a few fun things I wish I had when I was younger like a power wheels, one of those kiddie "roller coasters" and a ridiculous bounce castle. But she's not old enough for that stuff yet (I'm definitely going to be that uncle).
Her parents asked me to buy her books. But I have no idea what books to buy a kid that age. When I did a search I saw a bunch of really (to me anyway) ridiculous books. A lot of them had to do with being sad or grumpy (is this just a thing that I don't understand? Why would you read your kid a book about a grumpy, whiny main character?). Anyway, what are some good books for a kid that age?
Her parents asked me to buy her books. But I have no idea what books to buy a kid that age. When I did a search I saw a bunch of really (to me anyway) ridiculous books. A lot of them had to do with being sad or grumpy (is this just a thing that I don't understand? Why would you read your kid a book about a grumpy, whiny main character?). Anyway, what are some good books for a kid that age?
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Izo
Tranny Chaser
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I am liking Khane's idea about the kiddie golf set.
Ya know, this is kind of what croquet is, and you can set it up in any decent sized yard, it is a fantastic games for kids. They learn all about action and reaction, Newton's third law, and um, I am sure other stuff.
I loved playing it with my nieghborhood friends as a young child. We would make up rules, like, No One Can Hit the Gas Meter, etc lol.
It is a cheap but well made gift if I remember right. My 2 cents!
Ya know, this is kind of what croquet is, and you can set it up in any decent sized yard, it is a fantastic games for kids. They learn all about action and reaction, Newton's third law, and um, I am sure other stuff.
I loved playing it with my nieghborhood friends as a young child. We would make up rules, like, No One Can Hit the Gas Meter, etc lol.
It is a cheap but well made gift if I remember right. My 2 cents!
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ver_21
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My son is 2.5. Curious George stories are some of his current favorites. They have decent narration and illustration he can relate to.
Eric Carle stuff (Brown Bear, Very Hungry Caterpillar) is probably a little better for a 1.5 year old.
A good Beatrix Potter collection is something she could grow into--really great illustrations and fun vocab if it's the real original and unedited stories. Beatrix Potter stories can be a little dark, and that makes them less of a slog for adult readers.
A lot of toddler books are crap designed to be mass produced and make easy money. It's frustrating.
If you'll actually be reading to her, you can also try reading stuff that you like--I read my son Watership Down in bits and pieces when he was a few months old--of course he'd have no recollection, but maybe the sounds were good for him to hear. I'll read it to him again when he can make it through a story without illlustrations. The writing in that book is simply beautiful, but there is nothing soft about it.\
One other thing is picture flashcards for building vocab:
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Dude I respect you for your constantly keeping up with your niece, that's fantastic. It's really hard to know how to answer this, though. What are the parent rules about video stuff? If they're asking for books I'm guessing they're down on electronics. But there are amazing things for tablets for kids that young, and the kids love it. And they are fantastic for formation and development.
But if you're looking for books, yeah, a lot are about being grumpy and sad, because those are real emotions that many parents find hard to talk about, and yet want their kids to know it's okay to feel these things. I'd suggest you go to your local Barnes and Noble and find the most mom-looking employee and tell her exactly what you told us. She'll tell you not only what is popular, but what's well written and worth while.
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Dude I respect you for your constantly keeping up with your niece, that's fantastic. It's really hard to know how to answer this, though. What are the parent rules about video stuff? If they're asking for books I'm guessing they're down on electronics. But there are amazing things for tablets for kids that young, and the kids love it. And they are fantastic for formation and development.
But if you're looking for books, yeah, a lot are about being grumpy and sad, because those are real emotions that many parents find hard to talk about, and yet want their kids to know it's okay to feel these things. I'd suggest you go to your local Barnes and Noble and find the most mom-looking employee and tell her exactly what you told us. She'll tell you not only what is popular, but what's well written and worth while.
Khane
Got something right about marriage
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My brother and his wife are fucking lunatics about electronics. They don't even let her look at TV's when they're out walking around. Hell, they don't even let anyone post pictures on the internet anywhere if the kid is in them, including family photos.
Lunatics.
Lunatics.
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iannis
Musty Nester
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That's hardcore.
Hopefully as she ages they soften, but I can see what they're thinking before she's school age. They're betting oversaturation would stunt her development.
It's going to be a nutty position to take when she's like 9. But when she's this young... hell, I think they're probably right.
Hopefully as she ages they soften, but I can see what they're thinking before she's school age. They're betting oversaturation would stunt her development.
It's going to be a nutty position to take when she's like 9. But when she's this young... hell, I think they're probably right.
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Yeah, that's pretty intense.
Keep family relationships good. Buys some awesome books. Then take her for ice cream every chance you get. That's what she's going to remember.
wamphyr
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Is this true ?
I mean, cmon, are there any hard data about this ?
My elder daughter is 8 years old. Before she went to school, we let her stay a lot on youtube. I mean a lot. Actually, a lot according to everyone else in our social circle.
From 4 years old to 6 years old she had like 6 hours a day everyday, during week days, to do what she wanted in front of the computer.
Now as she is going to school, she stays 3-4 hours a day.
We noticed no ill effects.
And there is the fact that now knows English as good as her native language, she is actually kind of bilingual, she thinks in English sometimes, etc. We took her to an eye exam, everything is A OK. Her posture is good too, the family doctor confirmed this.
Maybe she is not the most sportish girl ever. Sure, there are girls her age that can do a handstand or something like that and my girl cant, but she is healthy.
So what is this oversaturation that would stunt the childs development ?
And how do you define oversaturation ?
The way I see it, from 4 years to 6 years old, when they are too young to read a lot, time in front of the computer only does them good. But how much is too much ?
Sure, between 6 and 7 years old, when they should read, it is better to read than to watch youtube, but that is a different discussion.
What are your views on this ?
iannis
Musty Nester
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There have been studies done that the format of childrens programs seems to have lowered attention spans.
Even the good ones. Things like Sesame street are aimed at children with 2-4 minute segments. And that's fine, it's not a problem, it's good even. The problem seems to occur when children are left to watch programs geared to their attention span exclusively for long periods.
No shit, people have been blaming ADHD on the format of childrens programing. And it's not so crazy. That programing is that way in order to capture their attention and teach, but oversaturation forms a habit of short attention spans. At least that's the argument. It's like how a child learns to speak from their parents, they also form the mental habits through interaction with their mental stimuli... and if that stimuli comes in 2-4 minute packets, their developing brain is going to gear to 2-4 minute packets. Many computer activities are going to be the same way, although computer multimedia does give a better opportunity for reading or requiring longer attention to an active task rather than just passivity. There's a lot of good electronic teaching tools out there, the problem is using them exclusively.
But you know, computers are going to be a important part of their lives, so it's probably not the worst plan to have them accustomed to using them from a very early age.
Pinning down exact numbers would be difficult if not impossible because individuals vary so much. It's gonna depend on the kid. And those kinds of programs, both television and electronic, are useful. Up until the point they no longer are.
But just like you can pin the rise of childhood obesity on the easy availibility of sugar and processed food you can look at ADHD, assume that maybe it's not ALL bullshit, and make some informed guesses as to what may be causing that shift in temperments for young children as they grow into less young children. More sedentary childhoods combined with passive education that requires very little intellectual engagement. That's more about television though, the electronic doo-dads have mostly distinguished themselves around providing an alternative to that.
A lot of it has got to be inattentive parenting, too. But that kinda goes without saying. If you plop your kid in front of the television and only check in when it's time to feed them then maybe they're going to grow like a weed and you kinda get what you get. And if you tell them to go play in the woods they might get eaten by a bear. Just can't win.
That's just what some of the books say. It makes some sense, it's probably not entirely accurate. I would imagine, if those parents are hyper opposed to electronics for their kid, the mother read that book.
Even the good ones. Things like Sesame street are aimed at children with 2-4 minute segments. And that's fine, it's not a problem, it's good even. The problem seems to occur when children are left to watch programs geared to their attention span exclusively for long periods.
No shit, people have been blaming ADHD on the format of childrens programing. And it's not so crazy. That programing is that way in order to capture their attention and teach, but oversaturation forms a habit of short attention spans. At least that's the argument. It's like how a child learns to speak from their parents, they also form the mental habits through interaction with their mental stimuli... and if that stimuli comes in 2-4 minute packets, their developing brain is going to gear to 2-4 minute packets. Many computer activities are going to be the same way, although computer multimedia does give a better opportunity for reading or requiring longer attention to an active task rather than just passivity. There's a lot of good electronic teaching tools out there, the problem is using them exclusively.
But you know, computers are going to be a important part of their lives, so it's probably not the worst plan to have them accustomed to using them from a very early age.
Pinning down exact numbers would be difficult if not impossible because individuals vary so much. It's gonna depend on the kid. And those kinds of programs, both television and electronic, are useful. Up until the point they no longer are.
But just like you can pin the rise of childhood obesity on the easy availibility of sugar and processed food you can look at ADHD, assume that maybe it's not ALL bullshit, and make some informed guesses as to what may be causing that shift in temperments for young children as they grow into less young children. More sedentary childhoods combined with passive education that requires very little intellectual engagement. That's more about television though, the electronic doo-dads have mostly distinguished themselves around providing an alternative to that.
A lot of it has got to be inattentive parenting, too. But that kinda goes without saying. If you plop your kid in front of the television and only check in when it's time to feed them then maybe they're going to grow like a weed and you kinda get what you get. And if you tell them to go play in the woods they might get eaten by a bear. Just can't win.
That's just what some of the books say. It makes some sense, it's probably not entirely accurate. I would imagine, if those parents are hyper opposed to electronics for their kid, the mother read that book.
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wamphyr
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I am not trying to justify what happened, there was no other choice. We have a younger daughter and both me and my wife were at work and the grandparent who was looking after both girls had to focus all the attention and energy on the smaller daughter, leaving the eldest in front of the computer.
The knee-jerk reaction was ”oh my god, 6 hours per day in front of the computer, that is such a definitely inherently bad thing.”
Except, it turned out ok. Actually, it turned out better than ok, because my daughter learned English so well it is amazing and amazes everyone around us.
Maybe we were lucky and it could have turned bad, but I do still think there is a lot of exaggeration in regards to this particular topic. And it is just an a priory presumption that, i dont know, anything more than 1 hour per day is going to fuck up your kid and a lack of detailed analysis, on different age segments, on different goals for your kid, etc...
That would drive me crazy even if we had no children. It is just so ilogical.
The knee-jerk reaction was ”oh my god, 6 hours per day in front of the computer, that is such a definitely inherently bad thing.”
Except, it turned out ok. Actually, it turned out better than ok, because my daughter learned English so well it is amazing and amazes everyone around us.
Maybe we were lucky and it could have turned bad, but I do still think there is a lot of exaggeration in regards to this particular topic. And it is just an a priory presumption that, i dont know, anything more than 1 hour per day is going to fuck up your kid and a lack of detailed analysis, on different age segments, on different goals for your kid, etc...
That would drive me crazy even if we had no children. It is just so ilogical.
ver_21
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This is the parent preview for Sesame Street in 1969:
Ernie eventually explains that Sesame Street is designed after what kids like most about TV--commercials.
Old Sesame Street still seems ok. I draw the line starting with Elmo. I can't stand how he baby talks, and the modern show is too frenetic, imo.
Mr. Rogers is/was pretty good (decent collection on archive.com), but movies have been holding my son's attention better lately--Lion King, Toy Stories, Inside Out, Princess Bride...
Yeah you can't just drop them in front of the TV for the day.
wamphyr said:
I totally get this right now. It is so hard to juggle a couple of kids and not have the house blow up.
iannis
Musty Nester
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Yeah, I don't have kids. And if I did it still wouldn't make me an expert.
Some kids seem to do just fine if you plop them in front of something. Some kids don't.
You don't get a Beethoven without tying him to the piano bench and beating him if he tries to go outside. But you can do that to 1000 kids and never get a Beethoven.
Some kids seem to do just fine if you plop them in front of something. Some kids don't.
You don't get a Beethoven without tying him to the piano bench and beating him if he tries to go outside. But you can do that to 1000 kids and never get a Beethoven.
Gurgeh
Silver Baronet of the Realm
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Does anyone know someone who played too much video games ? To me it's a legend, never met the guy. Quite the opposite actually, I've met a bunch of people that were on a pretty bad path when they picked video games... and now they've got a disturbingly normal life... And we all know it, 6 hours a day, it's borderline casual !
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Prodigal
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Lol I learned to read at 3 because there were three channels on the TV and no kids living close by.
Well, good parents too...
wamphyr
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With all due respect, you knew how to read at 3 but you did could not read read at that age, noone can.
And by that I mean reading books hours upon hours, just for the joy of reading, like an 12 years old can.
Sure, at 3, you can read words, even sentences, but it is a different kind of reading.
As for,
Quineloe
, sure, you did not play 6 hours a day when you were five, but you didnt get fluent in English either at that age, did you ? (I seem to remember you are from Germany).
Personal experiences aside, we are teaching our kids, the future of our planet, using really outdated methods. And it is a kneejerk reaction to reject any new approach. It is not a good combination.
And by that I mean reading books hours upon hours, just for the joy of reading, like an 12 years old can.
Sure, at 3, you can read words, even sentences, but it is a different kind of reading.
As for,
Quineloe
, sure, you did not play 6 hours a day when you were five, but you didnt get fluent in English either at that age, did you ? (I seem to remember you are from Germany).Personal experiences aside, we are teaching our kids, the future of our planet, using really outdated methods. And it is a kneejerk reaction to reject any new approach. It is not a good combination.