Raising a balanced child

As I watch my son grow up I often compare my childhood and what I wish my childhood had been in a perfect world with my son’s experiences thus far. Looking back at growing up in the 80’s and 90’s my fondest memories were: riding bikes up and down street and through the dusty lots where houses still hadn’t been build, playing basketball in the driveway until it was so dark that you couldn’t see the direction of the ball as it deflected off the rim, and just being outside being kids without any real cares except how much longer you could stay out before you were called home for the night. These days children are consumed with social media bullying them into not being bullies, video games that have become so realistic that priests and politicians blame them for all that’s wrong with the world, and the internet that allows you to keep up with the entire world 24 hours a day without ever having to pry yourself away from the couch.

Times have clearly changed and continue to evolve at an ever quickening pace. So how do you raise a child that has a healthy balance? Things like reality T.V and social media can surely be unhealthy when they consume your life, but I believe that it has become an important part of growing up in the aspect of a child’s social development. Being able to relate to your peers through a common bond such as last night’s episode of whatever show, the newest game, or the latest in social news is part of growing up as a child.

I feel the challenge for me as a parent will be to bring all of these aspects of my child’s life together into a healthy balance. I don’t have any real answers to these questions just yet but I am going to try to inject a little wisdom where I feel necessary in his life and hopefully be able to encourage him along the way. I welcome any suggestions or experiences in this matter as either a parent or what you experienced growing up. What effects do you think technology has on growing up today?