Green time over screen time

When I want to learn about something, I turn to books. I’ve read many parenting books throughout the past 18+ years. Some of them were helpful, and some were not. Currently, I am reading Raising Healthy Teenagers by Thomas Kersting. My intent was to complete the book by the time I wrote this article, but actual parenting was more necessary than reading.

Many of the parents who have teenagers right now were born in the 70s and early 80s. Our childhoods were very different from our children’s. In Raising Healthy Teenagers, Kersting writes, "When I research past generations, it seems like teenagers in 2011, just a decade ago, had more in common with 1950s teenagers than they do with 2022 teenagers. Why? Because in 2012, our society changed like never before. Smartphones have become mainstream and altered how kids grow up."

To be clear, Kersting doesn't state that smartphones or the internet are bad. He does make the point however that teens and pre-teens spend so much time alone on their devices that they do not develop the social skills needed to interact with others. It causes stress, anxiety, and depression. And all of you know what didn’t help – Covid isolation. The shutdown’s effects will continue for years to come. The lack of face-to-face social interaction was a detriment to all of us, especially with kids.

Kersting, a psychotherapist, describes some of the children he counseled over the past few years. Their stories are heartbreaking. He also gives some tips about how to help our kids – get outside, get out of the house, have face-to-face interaction with others, exercise, eat dinner together, and severely limit the time kids spend on their devices, etc. Also, remember that you are the parent. God blessed you with your kids, and it's His will that you raise them to the best of your ability. That means you have to say no sometimes. It also means that if your child doesn’t listen, there must be a consequence. It is hard. It's easier to let it go, but it's not what is best for them.

One of my favorite tips from the book is green time over screen time. My family and I love to camp. Now that the kids are older, we are beginning to backpack. My husband has Mondays off, so ideally, we can go a few weekends this summer. However, that would not work with my job schedule, as Sundays are my workdays. Also, my job gets much busier when my kids have school breaks, like Christmas. For these reasons, I made the bittersweet decision to resign as the Ministry Coordinator at Hillspring. I greatly enjoyed my time on staff and have built many wonderful relationships. While I will miss the day-to-day interaction with the staff, I’m not going anywhere. My family and I will continue to worship and volunteer at Hillspring.

Now that I have more free time, I'm excited about new opportunities. Pastor Justin and I are in the process of creating a Youth Parent Group. I don’t know what it will be named yet but think of it as parents of youth support group. I hope we can discuss our struggles and successes, share resources, and have people to lean on. We will do this while sharing a meal, of course. Please talk to Justin or me if you are interested in this group.

Thank you for being so supportive during my tenure as Ministry Coordinator. I appreciate all the help I received. I’ll still be around, but now as a volunteer. 😊

Blessings,

Nicole Jansen