I am taking a course, “How to Write About Your Life”, because I write for a living and want to be better at it. I am taking an Algebra 1 course because I have a ninth-grade daughter who is also taking the course, and I can’t help her with something I don’t understand. I ordered a book on the Mittleider system of vertically growing vegetables because I will plant my first garden this year and have limited space to do it in. I watched numerous YouTube videos a few weeks ago because I needed to know how to prune crepe myrtles, blackberry bushes, and a few other plants we inherited when we moved to our lake lot.
I accessed or purchased all the learning opportunities listed above through the internet, easily one of the most valuable resources available today. Since my early school years and college years preceded the internet, I appreciate the expansive knowledge obtainable within seconds by a simple internet search. It sure beats all the hours I spent as a student combing through card catalogs, Books of Knowledge, Encyclopedias and one method I’d prefer to forget–microfiche slides.
So, while I understand the internet overfloweth with its share of less than valuable content, it still blindsides me when I come across parents choosing not to allow their children any internet access.
Here are a few things parents write explaining why they withhold the internet from their kids:
“I do not want my child to see something he is too young to see or understand.”
“I do not want my child accessible to strangers.”
“I want to control what my child chooses to research.”
“I’m afraid my child will become addicted to the internet and lose her sense of wonder and play.”
“I’m unsure what the right age is for my child to get online, and I think right now he is too young.”
All of those reasons are valid–to an extent.
The problem with withholding internet introduction is that the internet is here to stay.
Already it extends into so many areas of our lives, so ignoring it is no longer tenable.
Please don’t get me wrong. I do believe parents need to be purposeful in how they introduce their children to the internet while teaching how to navigate it safely.
I liken the internet to any valuable tool. Parents should first model and train in its correct usage. After exposure and practice, kids should be freed to use the tool in the way their parents trained them with an understanding that more freedom and responsibility comes with maturity and skill.
I’m not proposing letting kids go hog-wild right out of the gate. But not allowing access at all? Depending on the age of the child, I’d go so far as to say it’s detrimental to their learning experience since as they age, they will most likely use it every day of their lives.
For example, in the early years, Internet access may look like educational apps on a parent’s tablet or phone.
But, kids grow up, and with those years come new interests. The first time Kenny searched the internet on his own, Jeff and I were out on a date. He called us wanting to Google strategies for a game he was playing and understood the rule that he could not get online when we weren’t home. We knew how easily a Google search could go wrong, and also that there was no software installed on my laptop that would limit the type of things he might turn up in a search. In the end, we chose to let him search. He found what he was looking for, got off-line and carried on with his game.
It was a small measure of independence, but his request showed resourcefulness, and we recognized it and wanted to take a chance while encouraging it. Now, he uses his personal laptop for both play and school with more (although, not complete) freedom.
The internet brings the world right to our fingertips, which is a mixed blessing, I realize.
Do you allow your children internet access? What boundaries do you set? What are the do’s and don’ts in your household for internet usage?
Heather Sanders is a homeschooling parent who desires families to live, love and learn together. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.