Big changes like the industrial revolution took a long time. This digital age, however, has been such a fast transition. We find ourselves in the middle of a change that we are yet to fully understand or know how best to encounter or embrace. Where does this leave us and what can we do?
This blog post captures only a little bit of what transpired. For those interested in accessing some resources that the panelists shared, click on the downloadable PDFs.
Three panelists Jeff Levin, Pam Penton, and Reebee Girash offered insights for parents interested in navigating the challenges of stress, spirituality, and parenting.
Levin, life coach and educator, spoke of how imagination and independence are essential for identity formation. A stressor that Levin asked the audience to consider is the message that kids are receiving today. “If you want to be successful, your window of opportunity is narrow and you don’t have time to go tire swinging.” Are children hearing that they don’t have time to be outside to exercise independence and imagination? How does such a message, often subtle, affect kids? He further described the process of “mirroring” and asked, “How do you ‘mirror’ when you constantly have an iPhone in your hand?”
Penton, Director of a childcare center, emphasized how stress is infectious. “We pass it down through our body, eye contact, through our faces.” The big question that Penton asked the audience to consider is, “How does anxiety and stress in adults get passed on (however unintentional) to children?” Penton, a big proponent of being outside in interaction with the world, reminded those gathered in our beautiful chapel that we adults need to make time to be inquisitive and playful. Kids have a way of picking up what they understand to be their family’s downtime.
Girash, minister and educator, started with a sobering insight. By the time kids are 10 years old, they can see if spirituality is meaningful for their parents. In other words, whatever we do, kids see and feel our values. Girash noted how all parents want their children to be safe, loved, and filled with wonder and to be kind, grateful, gentle, and just. Living in a digital age, she noted, is not necessarily a bad thing for these values. As a way of offering insight to navigate the digital age, Girash shared her own family’s practices. “I love you” means no phones during family dinner or prayer. “I love you” further means taking a full day off to be intentionally present together as a family.
During the discussion, folks pointed out that technology is now an essential part of formal education at every level. Can one then differentiate between media for learning and social media? What is the balance?
First Baptist Church in Newton Centre is passionate about addressing the needs of the communities that we are part of. Write to us if you have an idea. We’d love to hear from you.
This blog post captures only a little bit of what transpired. For those interested in accessing some resources that the panelists shared, click on the downloadable PDFs.
Three panelists Jeff Levin, Pam Penton, and Reebee Girash offered insights for parents interested in navigating the challenges of stress, spirituality, and parenting.
Levin, life coach and educator, spoke of how imagination and independence are essential for identity formation. A stressor that Levin asked the audience to consider is the message that kids are receiving today. “If you want to be successful, your window of opportunity is narrow and you don’t have time to go tire swinging.” Are children hearing that they don’t have time to be outside to exercise independence and imagination? How does such a message, often subtle, affect kids? He further described the process of “mirroring” and asked, “How do you ‘mirror’ when you constantly have an iPhone in your hand?”
Penton, Director of a childcare center, emphasized how stress is infectious. “We pass it down through our body, eye contact, through our faces.” The big question that Penton asked the audience to consider is, “How does anxiety and stress in adults get passed on (however unintentional) to children?” Penton, a big proponent of being outside in interaction with the world, reminded those gathered in our beautiful chapel that we adults need to make time to be inquisitive and playful. Kids have a way of picking up what they understand to be their family’s downtime.
Girash, minister and educator, started with a sobering insight. By the time kids are 10 years old, they can see if spirituality is meaningful for their parents. In other words, whatever we do, kids see and feel our values. Girash noted how all parents want their children to be safe, loved, and filled with wonder and to be kind, grateful, gentle, and just. Living in a digital age, she noted, is not necessarily a bad thing for these values. As a way of offering insight to navigate the digital age, Girash shared her own family’s practices. “I love you” means no phones during family dinner or prayer. “I love you” further means taking a full day off to be intentionally present together as a family.
During the discussion, folks pointed out that technology is now an essential part of formal education at every level. Can one then differentiate between media for learning and social media? What is the balance?
First Baptist Church in Newton Centre is passionate about addressing the needs of the communities that we are part of. Write to us if you have an idea. We’d love to hear from you.
| reebee_girash_resource_handout.pdf |
| jeff_levin_resource_handout.pdf |
| jeff_levin_on_parenting.pdf |