The Internet is useful. It has revolutionized our perception of learning. The emergence of online education has changed how classrooms across the world disseminate knowledge.
Thanks to the rapid development of online learning, parents have taken the initiative to install home Internet so that their children are not left behind. That is a good move because digital learning technology is sure to change how skills are acquired, both for children and adults.
But children cannot learn everything online. There are times when you have to step up and be the parent that you are to teach them offline.
Here are some of the things that your kids cannot learn from the Internet.
1. They cannot learn grit from the Internet.
Grit refers to the ability to keep going when the going gets tougher. The Internet may introduce your kids to stories of how certain people were able to take in any challenges or even show them a couple of inspirational videos. However, it cannot make for them the decision to get up every morning to meet their due tasks.
Part of offline parenting understands what your kids are supposed to do and the timelines they need. When you know this, instill in them the culture to create time for their bucket list. That may involve teaching them to wake up earlier than usual or create time during the day.
When trying to instill self-drive in your children, take caution that you do not micro-parent manage. If you helped them set the alarm for Monday and Tuesday, take the back seat and see if they would do so for subsequent days.
2. The Internet cannot explain emotions.
Your children will not learn from the Internet why you are angry at them for having failed to complete their assigned chores. It will not teach them how to feel when they let someone else down and what needs to be done to calm the person. They cannot learn empathy and what to do about a heartbreak.
Whenever your family is going through an emotional phase, like promotion at the workplace, upcoming birthday party, loss of a loved one, gruesome divorce, and much more, do not expect that your kids will learn this on their own. Set aside time and explain to them everything that is happening. Failure to do so exposes them to a life of emotional instability.
3. How to pay attention
Ironically, sometimes we turn to the Internet in a bid to learn about things such as paying attention in a meeting or classroom. Given access rights, your kids can view so many of these tutorials both on YouTube and other learning sites. Unfortunately, that is not enough to teach them the virtues of paying attention.
A skill such as this requires a practical approach to master it. Since the Internet is a haven of distraction, your kids may have a hard time learning it online. The best approach would be to place them in situations that demand their undivided attention to the physical world.
Conclusion
Do not underestimate the relevance of the Internet in your kids' life. However, overly depending on it as the sole source of training for the children is misplaced. Take the initiative to spend quality time with your loved ones and learn from one another.