They grow up so fast, don’t they? It’s a phrase you hear adults across the country use on a daily – and the thing is, it’s probably true. A recent survey found that more than two-thirds of parents felt that their children’s childhoods had ended before they had hit the teenage years, with 16 percent putting the age as low as 10.
The reduction in what is considered childhood comes largely from the pressures of life that begin to exert themselves on children at ever early stages of their lives. The big question then is how can you stop this happening and ensure that your children get a long and fruitful childhood that they’ll cherish once they’ve grown up? Here are five ways to stop your children from growing up too fast.
Have computers in family areas
Technology is one of the biggest threats to your child’s hopes of a memorable childhood. Through the internet, they can become aware of the need to look a certain way or behave in a certain manner, and it is this pressure that can make them grow up far quicker than is healthy.
By keeping computers in family areas of the home, you can subtly keep an eye on what they are reading or watching. Your children need to feel like they are being trusted to use technology how they want and you supervising their every move can be detrimental in the long run – but by placing that technology in a family area, you can ensure they aren’t being exposed to material that is too old for them without making it obvious that is what you are doing.
Restrict or prevent their use of social media
According to one study, 23 percent of American children under the age of 12 have a social media account even though Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat all have an age limit of 13.
Access to social media before their teen years can have a profound impact on how quickly your child grows up. Suddenly, they can connect with people and ideas that they would otherwise be protected from. Photo sharing sites like Instagram where everybody looks picture-perfect can be particularly dangerous in terms of portraying a body image that they may then feel they have to achieve to fit in.
You can help them avoid the pressures that social media can heap onto young people by restricting or preventing their access to it, at least until they are teenagers when they aren’t as impressionable.
Protect them from conflict
If a child’s parents are going through a messy separation, then chances are they are going to have to grow up very quickly. They might find themselves moving from one home to another frequently, caught in the middle of arguments between warring factions and having to worry about what is going to happen to them in the future.
That’s why you should do everything possible to prevent your children from experiencing too much of the fallout of a divorce or separation. You and your partner – no matter how toxic your relationship has now become – should always remember that your children are your number one priority. Finding a way to avoid a nasty battle by appointing a reputable lawyer who specializes in joint custody in ct can help.
Make sure you know who is supervising them
When your child goes to a friend’s house, do you know who will be supervising them and how much supervision they’ll be receiving? You need to make sure that you trust the adult in charge and that they share a similar view of parenting to you – otherwise, all your efforts to protect your child could be undone.
Take alcohol for example. Almost six percent of American 12 to 14-year-olds have at least one alcoholic drink a month, generally with their parents. While it is a personal choice as to whether an adult lets a child have a glass of wine with a Sunday dinner, and everybody has different opinions on it, if you don’t want your child being introduced to alcohol then you need to make sure that they aren’t going to be given it at another home.
Spend time with your child
If a child feels like they are alone, then they will end up growing up quickly. That’s why you should spend as much time with your child as possible, creating fun and long-lasting memories. Chat with them every day about the day they’ve had, find out what is interesting them at the minute, encourage their interests and let them know you love them just the way they are. They won’t have to grow up so fast then.
