The Connection Magazine AIM MUTUAL Fall 2019 | Page 23

TECHNOLOGY FOR KIDS
“NO MORE IPAD!” yelled by every parent,
everywhere in the world. The technology, in
itself, isn’t bad for our kids or for us. Rather,
it’s often the way we use it inside our homes
that can become problematic.
There will always be “moments” where
you hand over your phone or tablet to
your child because mommy/daddy need
some “me time.” Make these moments of
relying on screens to babysit our kids the
exception, rather than the norm. It will
also lessen the “screen guilt” syndrome
that parents often experience. While the
peace and quiet is nice, parents often feel
guilty when their kids turn into “zombies”
after excessive screen time. Or, a child or
teenager will throw a tantrum when you try
to remove said device from their clutches.
There has to be a better way. I
experimented with a few technologies and
incorporated them at home with my kids.
We called it Operation Smarter Home.
Through much trial and error, here are
the three technological wonders that have
helped improve my relationship with my
daughters. While every household differs,
and there are many more choices than the
ones listed below, my hope is that this will
help put the smart back into your home, too.
1. Fun with Questions: AI Style
As any parent knows, kids can be
relentless questioners. “Why, why, why …”
While this curiosity is important for their
development, at times it can be tortuous
and usually ends with, “Because I said so,
stop asking so many questions!” Nobody
wins in these scenarios, trust me, I’ve been
there.
I found a great way to turn these
interrogations into collective fun is by using
artificial intelligence. Also, let’s be frank,
I didn’t know the answers to many of my
kindergartner’s questions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) sounds
complex, but there are numerous devices
utilizing AI you are already familiar with:
Amazon Echo (Alexa), Apple HomePod,
Google Home Mini, and many others.
When a question comes up in our
household, we simply ask our device:
• “How many red stripes are on the
American flag?”
• “How old is Dumbledore?”
• “Why is the sky blue?”
The key is to ask the questions together,
as a family. While your particular device
might not have all the answers, it sometimes
provides hilarious and memorable moments
for the family. Most importantly, you and
your children will be learning together, often
while still getting your chores done around
the house.
You can have fun with quizzes as well.
Some of our favorites have been world
capitals, Jeopardy, kids trivia, and Harry
Potter trivia. Our five-year-old enjoys kids
trivia games while we make pancakes
together. Did you know that dogs suffer
from narcolepsy too?
In the end, a kids’ curiosity should be
celebrated and explored and it is a great
reminder for us adults to continue to be
curious about the world around us too.
2. Smart Beds: Sleep Smarter
Being well rested always makes me a
better parent; better at everything actually.
Your kids being well rested will also make
parenting easier. “Wow, he’s pretty cranky.
He had waaay too much sleep last night,”
said by no parent, ever.
While we shouldn’t use technology while
in our bed, we should have technology in
our bed. Yes, a smart bed. Smart beds,
among many benefits, help track your sleep
patterns to optimize them over time. My
bed of choice is the Sleep Number 360. It
has helped me so much that I thought my
kids would benefit from smart beds as well,
and they are. They get their best night’s rest
on the Sleep Number k2 bed.
It also helps me track their sleep
patterns, so they are optimally rested. An
unforeseen benefit is when I travel, I feel
better connected with them as I can see
when they are going to bed and getting up in
the middle of the night. They also have fun
adjusting their sleep number (firmness of
the bed) to get it to their desired “unicorn
23
rainbow lollipop state.”
3. Learning Apps
You can use any learning app or website
of your choice: ABC Mouse, edx.org, Khan
Academy, Tiny Cards, and many more.
The key is picking one where both you and
your child can learn together. For example,
my kids and I use Duolingo to learn Spanish
together. While we still use physical Spanish
flashcards, cook Spanish dishes, and listen
to Spanish music, using this app is also good
family learning time. Best of all, Duolingo,
along with most of the apps/websites I
mentioned, are FREE.
My hope is that by making your
home smarter it will also create more
opportunities for family time. After all, isn’t
that what life is all about?
Erik Qualman
No.1 Best-selling Author and Motivational Speaker
Erik Qualman has performed in over 50 countries
and reached 30 million people this decade.
His Socialnomics work has been featured on 60
Minutes to the Wall Street Journal and used by
the National Guard to NASA. His book Digital
Leader propelled him to be voted the second
Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry
Potter’s J.K. Rowling. Qualman was formerly a
sitting professor at Harvard and MIT’s edX labs.
“His depth of insight and breadth of examples
have prompted us to shift our thinking on
leadership by design.” — Starbucks
Equalman.com