Inspirational and thought-provoking messages informed by my faith, ministry in education and community development
Custody Battles
As we move deeper into this summer my encouragement for all parents is to be on guard for Unplanned Parenthood which besieges our children. This battle employs stealth and self weaponry that adversely impact our children. Just as the advisory is for us to make sure that our weapons are locked away from our children in our households, cautionary measures surrounding technology are in order. Children’s screen time during the summer increases by forty three percent! The screen requires your teen in order for it to survive.
The recommendation for children under two years of age is to have a less than 30 minutes a day of productive, positive screen time, if any. For those over to two years old the healthy recommendation is no more than one hour per day. Research reveals that during the school year, children’s screen time in America averages 7.5 hours a day. The greatest casualty of this undercover custody battle is the reality that excessive screen time is associated with lower math scores, increased obesity and social-emotional declines.
This custody battle never receives its day in court. There is no jury of peers, but the casualties result in parental tears. Our children’s opportunities to enjoy the blue sky are being robbed by the blue screen. Their mental wellness is being victimized by social media’s “hellness". With this battle there is no court of appeal, but impact can result in slow to no heal. Tragically, justice falls upon the parents' personal will which often struggles to model what's proven to be unfit.
When Scripture and fables lose the battle to Instagram and Snap Chat at the dinner table, we take on more casualty in the battle to maintain custody. The loss of custody is never intentional. It is unplanned parenting with potential casualty. Let’s face it. The screen’s potential impact is formidable therefore we must be intentional as custodial stewards of our children’s battles to flourish and thrive. This intention INCLUDES attention to our own screen time modeling. Custody battles start with the custodians.