I was in LEGO heaven! We saw life-sized structures of Spider-man and Captain Jack Sparrow made entirely of LEGOs. Kids and adults were making art mosaics, towers, vehicles and all kinds of creative structures from these colorful building blocks.
What was really significant was what I didn’t see. I never saw one child use a cellphone or play a video game. Technology was replaced by colorful blocks, if only for a few hours.
I worry about the impact of technology on our family lives. Kids and their parents text instead of talk. During a meal at a restaurant we are bombarded by monitors, connecting us with images on a screen rather than the people sitting next to us.
Here’s what I’m advising parents.
• Power down at dinnertime, and that means never answering phone calls during meals.
• No computers in children’s bedrooms, at least until high school.
• No texting or video games at meals, even at restaurants.
• Allow Facebook for teenagers only if you have access to its content.
What technology rules do you have for your family?
Next week: What's the toughest question that kids ask me?
Reach Dr. Ramey, a child psychologist at Dayton Children’s Medical Center, at Rameyg @childrensdayton.org.
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