You'll thank me when you're older

Sometimes you watch or read something that really hits a chord within.... when you learn something new, you can't un-know it... suddenly that knowledge becomes a part of you and it starts shaping the way you react to life. 

This can be said for my journey into why I choose to eat organic food. At first the process started slowly, and I was able to push aside the few things I had heard here and there, but then things came to a tipping point and suddenly I knew that I could no longer go on feeling OK about my choices- I had to make a change, I knew too much, so we made the switch.

The other day, I had another one of those moments. The food journey has led me on to create many other changes in the way I choose to live- I now choose a low-tox way of living, I try and surround myself in things that are good for my body, I'm wary of and limit the things that aren't. I still live a relatively normal life, but my choices can set me apart from others. It's my life, my choice and I feel good about where I am.

So the other day I had another tipping point moment. I watched the Catalyst episode called 'Wi-Fried'... and boy did it shake me up. 

In our house technology is welcomed but not embraced... we have the usual i-Things- I'm not sure where we compare with other households but there are still way too many in our house for my liking. It's hard not to be sucked into all this technology, especially with kids around. 

At this stage, we share an iPad between a family of 4, we have 3 computers but their purpose is work-related so the most fun you'll have is surfing the net... no games on these ones! We've resisted all X-boxes and the kids know that they have to ask to use technology first... Yep, life is tough in our house if you're a kid! 

Our kids saving grace has been that the neighbours have a houseful of technology, and this is working well for us. They still get to play the usual games when they go over there, but it's also easier for us to limit and the temptation isn't always as great. We're pretty lucky in this way.

At first the kids questioned why they weren't allowed to use technology as much as their friends. The simplest way I could explain it to them is this (and I could be wrong but this is the best I could come up with off the top of my head)...

I grabbed an orange off the bench- and proceeded my mummy spiel "Imagine that your brain is this orange... when you play a game outside, using your imagination, your orange is firing from all different sides (points to all angles of the orange)- as you have to be creative and inventive, you're using your body to move, you're looking around and taking things in all around you... that orange is busy sending off signals from all the different centers that it controls, and each time it does it gets stronger and more powerful. Now, when you play on a computer you still have to use your brain, but your brain is mainly firing from only a one or two parts of the orange (points to the top of the orange), while the rest of the orange isn't being used. Now if we do that all the time the parts of the orange that aren't being used start to whither up and die and once they're dead you can't get them back..."

OK, I'm no genius but I did do a quiet happy dance when I realised they'd got my orange-brain interpretation.... Phew!!!!

Up until the other day, I was wary of, but still pretty relaxed with technology, but boy did that episode of Catalyst hit me like a ton of bricks. 

Up until then I had considered the use of technology and how it affects the brain, but I hadn't put too much thought into the effects it has on young kids physical bodies. The bit that hit me the most was the realization that Wi-fi hasn't even been tested properly yet- WE HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT ITS ACTUAL AFFECTS and won't know for at least another 10-20 years when the results will be able to be seen! 

Think about that for a minute- our kids are guinea pigs- they will have to live with the effects of technology for their entire lives. I was 20 when I first started using a computer for work and we've only recently got an ipad and smart phones. I'm half way through my life- our kids were born with it in their laps.

Now think about this- they've just installed wi-fi into ALL schools- our kids are being silently affected All.Day.Long! So even if you choose to avoid it, you can't. Up until then I had felt like our little public school was behind the times not having mountains of iPad's for the kids to use, but now I'm grateful. Don't get me wrong, I know how amazing and useful technology is- I can't live without it, but it doesn't mean I'm OK with it. 

So here I am awake and aware more than ever when I read yet something else that shocked me... having recently upgraded to the new iPhone 6, I then go on to find out that the iPhone 6 emits 2x more EMR than all other phones... I could almost faint. When will it end????

So now I'm functioning from a new point of view. Call me a mean mummy for saying NO. I can live with that. 

If you want to play on the iPad you need to clean your room first and then you can have 30 minutes ONLY (This one works a treat- its a double win- have you ever known a kid to want to clean their room? Well mine certainly don't, even a reward on the iPad isn't very tempting!). No phones in the bedrooms unless they're on Airplane mode. 

My aim is to prevent as much exposure as I possibly can. It may be hard, but if the news about wi-fi turns out to be bad, I want to know that I've done all I can for our family. It's a challenge I'm ready to take on head first.

I could go on and on about this, but I urge you, please watch the episode and make your own mind up. Do your own research. Please don't feel bad for limiting exposure and saying No to your kids. If the sun is shining, make them play outside. Talk to your kids, make them aware. It's the least we can do.