The pandemic has stirred up lives around the world upending our children’s schedules and our
work-life, making 2020 an interesting year on many grounds. However, as technology has now
become an inseparable part of our lives it also made 2020 bearable. If not anything, technology
has integrated itself into our children’s world making it an inescapable addiction for them.
Unless you live in a log shack, completely off the grid in the wood there is a zero probability of
protecting and safeguarding your children from the screen that they will by default be
encountering anywhere and everywhere. The drawback of this generation is that they were born
amidst a technological revolution that is going to show no signs of slowing down, in fact, AI is
the future so it is inevitable that your kids will be drawn to the technological equipment no matter
how much you shield them from it.
A world where you’ll be driven around by self-driving cars, wearable tech, Bionic parts
Augmented reality and who knows what more but for now we need to address the concerns of
most parents which is Screen Time.
We spend our days in school reading, writing and learning how to operate the computer and
that was considered as an integral part of an educational syllabus called ‘computer lab’ back in
the day, but nowadays screen time makes a fitting comparison to junk food. We know how bad
it is for our health, but we still guiltily indulge in it.
With our children I believe it all started with a little ambivalence towards the screen that soon
ignited a sense of curiosity that made its way into becoming a full-fledged routine too late back
down from while we knew the potential it had to captivate the inquisitive young minds of our
child along with its infamous nature of making it an addiction. However, we still let them
continuously use it because let’s be candid, it can be lifesaver especially when you are juggling
between work from home managing 2 kids along with household chores.
It goes without a doubt that screen time is valuable for our children, allowing them to learn at
their fingertips with access the vast world of knowledge and insights with high-quality learning
programs like Sesame Street shown to enhance and improve cognitive development and
literacy skills along with the endless amounts of apps built to engage and interact through
creative puzzles and games.
If we look at it positively, our children have become a testament to the enormous amounts of
educational possibilities of technology. Giving them a well-rounded learning opportunity with
shapes and colors in the form of cartoons important knowledge imparting knowledge in its
unique way.
It has its downsides as well, studies show that when screen time is overused it can replace
important development opportunities like physical activity, outdoor time, and imaginative play

which results in stunted interpersonal interactions, sleep problems, obesity, and lagging motor
skills.
Kids nowadays have forgotten to cherish the summers, running, playing, climbing trees, building
sandcastles, and running around playing hide and seek. Those were the summer we as parents
enjoyed taught us more than the iPad and we all turned out pretty okay.
As crucial as screen time is, just like every complicated bag in life, screen time is good in
moderation with the right balance.
Ways in which you could reduce your child’s screen time;
A daily routine;
There is no need to impose a strict regime or give them ample screen time. The trick here is to
make them feel like screen time is more like a privilege than a right.
Educational;
There plenty of apps and videos on YouTube, but not all of them are educational. Instead of
letting them have the freedom to watch whatever they want, make a playlist for them.
No screen zone;
Make sure that your child is spending some quality time interacting while at the dinner table
instead of being glued to the television, set aside a few hours where they read, write and play to
unplug.
Putting down a device can be a struggle but for a better and healthier life for your child, it is
crucial to take the necessary step starting today and cut back on some screen time.

One word we can all think of when we hear the words toys are ‘children’. It is without a
doubt that children love playing with them while on the other hand, it’s a nightmare for
the parents, from the endless options of flashy toys to choose from and having to say no
to those big bright puppy dog eyes can be heartbreaking.

So as a parent what are the toys you say yes and no to? Quite fortunately, with the
availability and advancements made keeping in mind the sustainability factor, no matter
what your child’s preferences are there’s an option to buy ethical and eco-friendly toys
with Little Jamun.

One of the major complications with toys today is that they are only made to look flashy
and attractive, eliminating most of the learning benefits from toys. Additionally, it’s also
true that your child’s wild imagination can inevitably compensate for the lack of
functionality of the toys, but buying toys that don’t elicit a feeling of growth in your child
doesn’t seem like a good idea, to begin with. When kids are given such toys, it is only to
last a couple of days until they get bored of it, subsequently adding up to the pile of
waste in a landfill somewhere.

Instead of buying your children toys for the mere purpose of its exterior eye-catching
body, invest in toys that encourage your child’s development, enabling them to learn
innovative things that help advance their motor skills. This guarantees a longer use of
the toys because it keeps them grasped with it. Toys at Little Jamun teach younger kids
about shapes, spatial awareness, and colors that can become an innovative learning tool
for them.

When you buy toys for your children a major factor to consider is sustainability. And
with everything else that we purchase, we can make sure that it is sustainable in the long
run. This covers many aspects of manufacturing, retail, and the use of toys. For instance,

we can always check if the toy has been made out of recycled, bio-degradable products
or made up of eco-friendly materials.

If you are an eco-friendly person, living a greener life, and want your child to be the
same mindful person as you are when they grow up, then it’s crucial to start at an early
age.

Here’s why wooden, eco-friendly and open-ended toys must be the go-to for socially and
ecologically conscious parents –

Wooden toys never go out of style. There may not be much of a commercial hype for the
latest wooden pieces in the market yet, but they’ve been enjoyed for generations and still
are going strong, much better than these upcoming plastic fads which fade away with
every new tech device that comes out each year.

There are many reasons why wooden toys are better than any other plastic toy, not only
for your child but for the environment as well. They are durable, making them last for a
longer time (yielding less waste than the plastic ones). They are biodegradable, making
them eco-friendly, made with sustainable wood.

Good quality, eco-friendly wooden toys like Little Jamun don’t contain PVC, phthalates,
or similar chemicals used in plastic toys. But it is also important to be aware of low-
quality, cheap wood, which is made from plywood that’s full of toxic glues and leach
formaldehyde. Lack of quality control on these cheap materials means there’s a high
probability that they’re made up of paints tainted with lead.

Children learn a lot from just their playtime and when you provide your child with
educational toys that are sustainable it gives them a chance to put their imagination and
creativity to use while having fun at the very same time. Making learning fun will benefit
your child's retention power developing a positive outlook towards learning.