Far from simply giving kids time to ‘let loose’ during vacation, it turns out play is serious business for children. Recent studies have shown that kids who get activity breaks at school and free time in their day to play and exercise actually do better in school. Besides giving kids time to practice social skills with their peers, active exercise actually increases brain growth and development.  Exercise releases brain chemicals in key learning and memory centers of the brain which stimulate the growth of neural networks.  At a time when we are asking our kids to perform at peak levels in their school work, we should be giving them all the tools and support to help them succeed – exercise is key.

Play and exercise are of course also key to fighting our current epidemic of overweight and obesity.  Helping kids build stronger, more active and fit bodies will only help them succeed at school.  I am heartened by the fact that I am seeing more and more families out exercising together.  Last night on a bike ride, our local bike path was as crowded as a freeway and many of the bikers were families out for a ride together and getting some good exercise to boot.   Even as simple an exercise as walking is healthy for kids.  But nothing beats kids just being able to play.  So as your kids return to school don’t forget to keep visiting your backyard, playground, local gym, or open space – get your kids off the couch, away from the video screens and outside to move and play all year round.

What’s your kids’ favorite playtime activity?

I co-authored a study published in Pediatrics this past Monday that adds to a growing list of studies and reports showing that kids with a heavy diet of media and technology start to develop shorter attention spans. This makes sense in terms of what we know about the brain. One of the basic principles of brain development, “the neurons that fire together wire together,” simply means that whatever we do a lot of, we get better at. So for kids who are getting plenty of practice shifting attention, what they get “good at” is distraction.

Media and technology are an exciting part of our 21^st century lives. The problem arises when media use crowds out other activities. Young people need to develop focused attention to do well in school and life.  Focused attention enables us to do abstract and critical thinking, integrating new information, and–old fashioned but important–reflection. Wiring a generation of young brains for constant entertainment robs them of the opportunity to develop focused attention – a skill they will need for the rest of their lives.

Try these mind positive tips:

1. Enjoy screen media but set and enforce rules about when, where, how much.
2. Choose slower paced, educational and non-violent media for your kids.
3. Have technology free family meals.
4. Create technology curfews – young brains need a break from technology at night.
5. Remember that our brains are built for one thing at a time – limit multi-tasking during homework.

Thanks,

Because of your commitment, we began searching for a place that our work could continue as soon as it was clear that the Great Recession was claiming another non-profit victim. We found that home at Search Institute, another Minneapolis-based nonprofit. Search has long been a leader in the positive youth development field, and is committed to helping parents raise healthy, caring, responsible kids. They realize the importance of a positive media diet as well. That’s why I’m convinced that the work will not only survive. It will thrive. I myself am proud to now be a Senior Advisor at Search.

All of our programs, products, and resources now reside within Search Institute. Both Say Yes to No and through-U are still available, and Switch is in the process of being revisited. The MediaWise guides have been collected and distilled into the Technology & Media section of ParentFurther.com, Search’s parenting website.

I encourage you to continue to support the work of the National Institute on Media and the Family by staying in touch with Search Institute. With technology changing at breakneck speed, it’s more important than ever to pay attention to and figure out ways that media and technology can benefit kids while avoiding the harm they can bring.

Search offers three newsletters with valuable information for parents and other caring adults. I encourage you to sign up for at least one of these newsletters to get updates on how Search is using the National Institute on Media and the Family resources and other things that are happening.

ParentFurther.com is another great resource for parents, and contains much of the information from our MediaWise guides. Watch for more to be posted in the future!

Dr. Dave Walsh

As the stakes get higher, more and more high school administrators are realizing that they are playing russian roulette when it comes to prom. In response to growing concern that prom nights are becoming dangerously risky for teens, one New York high school moved it to the middle of the week coupled with mandatory attendance the following day. Though likely unpopular with many teens, these measures reflect the importance of rethinking prom policies to ensure that prom is a positive night to remember.

Check out this video for Good Morning America’s story on prom season and teen drinking.

Most importantly, connect with your kids around this issue. Here are five tips for talking to your teens about drinking and drugs on prom night:

1. Set your expectations about drinking early. The number one deterrent for teen drinking is parental limits – make sure your kids know where you stand.

2. Ask your teens about their plans before and after prom. Ask where they are going and who they will be hanging out with. Be in touch with other parents about their plans.

3. Remember that teenagers’ prefrontal cortexes are still under construction, and that, drop for drop, alcohol does more damage to a growing brain than a developed one. Share this with your teen, even if there is eye rolling.

4. Consider hosting your teen and his or her friends at your house post-prom. Promise to be out of their hair, but not out of the house.

5. Make sure your kids know that they can call you on prom night, NO MATTER WHAT.

My son just had his first child, and I understand the pressure of trying to keep up with life while juggling the new responsibilities of caring for a baby. Yet I couldn’t help but feel concerned, especially as I read on – one review of the device promises that the “loving relationship you’ve had with your mobile device” does not need to end with the arrival of your little one.

No baby is going to be damaged by a few emails quickly shot off while bouncing your child on your knee. However, if experience tells us anything, it can be hard to stick to just a few emails. Our “always on” techno environment is all consuming – and we shouldn’t let this lure us away from parenting.

Media multitasking is no doubt going to be a part of any new parents life, but consider carving out significant ‘screen free’ time with your baby (and I mean screen free for parents from their blackberries, smart phones, etc… the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero screen time for babies themselves). Here are a few reasons to resist getting hooked on texting:

First, before your baby is even able to talk or walk, they look to you as an example.  Babies are born to copy. Remember this and start modeling good media habits for your kids early on.

Second, and most importantly, the number one gift you can give your child is one-on-one communication and connection. A walk with baby in the stroller does not have to be simply exercise or a way to get from point A to point B. When you respond enthusiastically to your child’s sounds and smiles and name familiar objects that you pass by, you are not only developing a special bond with your baby but also enhancing his or her social, psychological, and intellectual development.

You are the primary source of information through which your baby begins to explore the world – make sure that devices like the texthook don’t distract you from the most important job in the world. Your texts can likely wait.

Sincerely, Dr. Dave

The question is not whether baby DVDs can teach. Of course, they can. The more important questions are, “What else are they teaching?” and, “Aren’t there better ways for children to learn without unintended negative consequences?“ My objection to baby media has never been about content. Who can quarrel with shapes, colors, and music? My problem is that these products are wiring babies’ brains to orient to electronic screens before they can even walk or utter their first words. Moreover they are wiring the tiny brains to expect a steady diet of electronic entertainment.

Which is a richer experience? A baby watching a DVD about shapes or a baby handling, mouthing, building and matching real shapes while talking laughing and snuggling with a caring adult? No contest as far as I’m concerned.

Kids will be mesmerized by screens soon enough. Let’s pay more attention to giving them as much real world learning as possible.

Neuroscientists have discovered that when people are conscious but doing nothing the brain is firing away with increased activity in brain regions responsible for autobiographical memory, imagining the thoughts and feelings of others and thinking about hypothetical events. In other words, boredom unleashes imagination and creativity.

So the idle mind is not really the devil’s workshop after all. It’s the workshop, period.