DEFI 5-8 WITHOUT CRANS

23 October, 2018

A week ago, like many of you probably, I watched Bye, Alexandre Taillefer’s very touching and relevant documentary on youth mental health and cyber addiction. I was extremely moved, it was hard not to be. As a mother of 5 young children and an education professional, emotions flooded over me. I must say that here, under our roof, discussions about screens, tablets, and phones are frequent. Our couple consists of a college literature teacher with no Facebook account or cell phone, and a business educator who manages an online store and uses social media to promote it. All around us are young children who love to use tablets for entertainment, games, or watching videos. These questions often come up: what place should we give these electronic gadgets? Is it appropriate? Are we stimulating our children enough? And the most important question in my opinion: are we good role models for our children? Do they see us using these electronic devices too often (for good and not-so-good reasons)? Every time, I tell myself that if it happens in our home, it must happen in most families. We live in the same era, in the same society, and inevitably experience similar situations. UNPLUG TO BETTER CONNECT? It is often said that childhood passes too quickly. That we haven't seen the last few years go by, that we haven't seen our children grow up. Are we really with them when we spend time together during the famous 5 to 8, those three short hours (or even only two for some) when everyone is at home? Technology insidiously enters our lives. That little notification alarm during our son's bath to tell us someone liked a posted photo, that email from the office received in the evening that couldn't wait until tomorrow and preoccupies us during homework time, that funny text from our friend that interrupts our child showing us their latest drawing, etc. In short, all these distractions that too often "disconnect" us from our children and family life. Alexandre Taillefer's work is exceptional in my opinion. This widely publicized documentary will broaden the public debate and raise awareness. As a mother and education professional, I want to support Mr. Taillefer by addressing this issue a little earlier, right from early childhood. Of course, it is important to address the mental health problems of adolescents who have become cyber-addicts. Mr. Taillefer has even challenged Minister Barrette on this subject. But let's not forget that education is an incredible weapon against health problems. It is time to realize that family and school must take their rightful place in preventing this problem. One of the most concerning observations in this documentary, in my opinion, is the fact that young people no longer communicate in the same way as before. Face-to-face exchanges have given way to much less engaging texting and "chat." This is why, we are told in the documentary, Youhou was created, a more current "2.0" version of the Tel-jeunes service. This wonderful initiative, on which many volunteers have worked very hard, will certainly allow many young teenagers to be heard in a completely confidential manner in a language that resembles them. That being said, as parents of young children, let's be aware that it is important to develop our little ones' social skills and that a pat on the back, a hug, an understanding tone of voice, and a few minutes spent listening can sometimes be more beneficial than emoticons. As parents, it is essential to communicate with our children to help them develop good social skills. Let's develop the habit of having moments of exchange with them away from screens, tablets, phones, or even television. Let's encourage them to discuss and, above all, try to find their interests (science, sports, music, reading, mechanics, drawing, etc.). Our young people will then have a better chance of developing a healthy and balanced relationship with screens, which are now part of our lives. THE 5@8 SCREEN-FREE CHALLENGE Les Belles Combines launches the 5@8 Screen-Free Challenge. Chat and play; Discuss and draw; Gab and cook; Talk and tinker... enjoy these screen-free moments with your children to live real life! Do it for your child! Let's disconnect to better connect with our little ones and give ourselves time to discover them. Their dreams, their ideas, their precious naivety, their passions. They are there admiring us and only ask to know us better. To participate in the 5@8 SCREEN-FREE CHALLENGE, visit our Facebook page and encourage your parent friends to do the same. This small gesture has the potential to help us, as a society, help our children grow up with values and behaviors that will make them adolescents and adults fully aware of the benefits and dangers of screens. It's all about balance.      

A week ago, like many of you probably, I watched Bye, Alexandre Taillefer’s very touching and relevant documentary on youth mental health and cyber addiction. I was extremely moved, it was hard not to be. As a mother of 5 young children and an education professional, emotions flooded over me. I must say that here, under our roof, discussions about screens, tablets, and phones are frequent. Our couple consists of a college literature teacher with no Facebook account or cell phone, and a business educator who manages an online store and uses social media to promote it. All around us are young children who love to use tablets for entertainment, games, or watching videos. These questions often come up: what place should we give these electronic gadgets? Is it appropriate? Are we stimulating our children enough? And the most important question in my opinion: are we good role models for our children? Do they see us using these electronic devices too often (for good and not-so-good reasons)? Every time, I tell myself that if it happens in our home, it must happen in most families. We live in the same era, in the same society, and inevitably experience similar situations. UNPLUG TO BETTER CONNECT? It is often said that childhood passes too quickly. That we haven't seen the last few years go by, that we haven't seen our children grow up. Are we really with them when we spend time together during the famous 5 to 8, those three short hours (or even only two for some) when everyone is at home? Technology insidiously enters our lives. That little notification alarm during our son's bath to tell us someone liked a posted photo, that email from the office received in the evening that couldn't wait until tomorrow and preoccupies us during homework time, that funny text from our friend that interrupts our child showing us their latest drawing, etc. In short, all these distractions that too often "disconnect" us from our children and family life. Alexandre Taillefer's work is exceptional in my opinion. This widely publicized documentary will broaden the public debate and raise awareness. As a mother and education professional, I want to support Mr. Taillefer by addressing this issue a little earlier, right from early childhood. Of course, it is important to address the mental health problems of adolescents who have become cyber-addicts. Mr. Taillefer has even challenged Minister Barrette on this subject. But let's not forget that education is an incredible weapon against health problems. It is time to realize that family and school must take their rightful place in preventing this problem. One of the most concerning observations in this documentary, in my opinion, is the fact that young people no longer communicate in the same way as before. Face-to-face exchanges have given way to much less engaging texting and "chat." This is why, we are told in the documentary, Youhou was created, a more current "2.0" version of the Tel-jeunes service. This wonderful initiative, on which many volunteers have worked very hard, will certainly allow many young teenagers to be heard in a completely confidential manner in a language that resembles them. That being said, as parents of young children, let's be aware that it is important to develop our little ones' social skills and that a pat on the back, a hug, an understanding tone of voice, and a few minutes spent listening can sometimes be more beneficial than emoticons. As parents, it is essential to communicate with our children to help them develop good social skills. Let's develop the habit of having moments of exchange with them away from screens, tablets, phones, or even television. Let's encourage them to discuss and, above all, try to find their interests (science, sports, music, reading, mechanics, drawing, etc.). Our young people will then have a better chance of developing a healthy and balanced relationship with screens, which are now part of our lives. THE 5@8 SCREEN-FREE CHALLENGE Les Belles Combines launches the 5@8 Screen-Free Challenge. Chat and play; Discuss and draw; Gab and cook; Talk and tinker... enjoy these screen-free moments with your children to live real life! Do it for your child! Let's disconnect to better connect with our little ones and give ourselves time to discover them. Their dreams, their ideas, their precious naivety, their passions. They are there admiring us and only ask to know us better. To participate in the 5@8 SCREEN-FREE CHALLENGE, visit our Facebook page and encourage your parent friends to do the same. This small gesture has the potential to help us, as a society, help our children grow up with values and behaviors that will make them adolescents and adults fully aware of the benefits and dangers of screens. It's all about balance.