It's hard work being a low-tech parent

playing in the snowTechnology is wonderfully useful for many things, but when it comes to parenting, it's best left turned off.

Being a low-tech parent is hard. There are many times when I wish I didn’t care so much and could simply hand my kids an iPad or turn on a TV to distract them. It would certainly make parenting easier, but I don’t believe it would make it any better. In fact, the more I observe and learn about the effect that early technology use has on children today, the more I recoil in distress.

The sum total of technology in my home consists of two older model iPhones (with no games apps), a tiny MacBook Air that I use for work, and an eight-year-old desktop computer that gives us endless trouble. There are no iPads, no e-readers, no televisions, or iPods. Our young children are expected to entertain themselves with toys, books, and bikes.

Many people are either surprised or disapproving of the old-fashioned way in which we choose to raise our kids. I often hear the following questions:

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