In France, screens today occupy a central place in children’s day, and even toddlers. Which is far from being the case in the Scandinavian countries.
Difficult today to escape the screens, even for toddlers. Television, tablet, smartphone … In France, they are now part of the daily life of many families and take a growing place from an early age. However, children’s specialists have been ringing the alarm for several years: children are increasingly overexposed to screens. And the consequences are not trivial. Studies show this: too early and too prolonged use can slow down the global development of the child. A real scourge, which is not necessarily one in the Scandinavian countries.
Indeed, in Scandinavian culture, society does not really give interest to screens and new technologies, at least in terms of children’s education. In the book “Scandinavian parenting: the secrets of the happiest children in the world“(Editions of Boeck Supérieur), the authors Léa Johansen Bjarrum and Jonathan Vallantin explain that in school, the children spend most of their day outside to play or explore,” whether it rains or praises “. In the afternoon, when they are at the leisure center, “They are completely free to choose their activities”. And whether outdoors or indoors, “There are many options: sport, board games, creative activities, constructions, DIY, creativity, LEGO®, ping-pong, hairstyle, dolls”.
At home, these “good” practices continue and instead of spending long minutes on screens, Scandinavian children engage in another activity: reading. “At 8 years old, the only regular duty is to read 20 minutes a day aloud, with an adult”, indicates the work. The author Léa Johansen Bjarrum herself experienced her with her son, Mani. And she admits it at the beginning, it was not really easy … “When my elder started to read, he found the books of his boring level and their stories that are not very captivating. The 20 minutes daily reading became a real challenge for him, because he took no pleasure. After having shared this frustration with his teacher, he suggested that we were going to the library so that man chooses a book that interests him, no matter the level of difficulty”, she says in the book. This approach worked on Mani!
The idea here is not to impose a reading time and a particular book, chosen by the professor. “The important thing is to respect the interests of the child, so that reading remains above all a pleasant and engaging moment”underline the authors.
