No, it isn’t easy or simple at all. The depressing paradox is that while devices displace healthy interaction and activity in kids, not using a device is socially isolating.
We did the same stuff as you - our kids were readers, they played with beyblades, pokeomon, and lego, were out at the neighbourhood playground at least an hour a day, usually more. They had hobbies like drawing and playing instruments. They were enrolled in sports. We gave them freedom to run around and play out in the neighbourhood at an early age. And we limited alone screen time to 90 minutes a day.
In grade 6 we gave them flip phones so they could communicate with us and with friends. Things were still fine. In grade 8 we caved and gave them our old smart phones. And like flipping a switch, they dramatically cut back on their analog activities and screen time filled the gap. The devices and content are so addictive that drawing, playing music, and reading don’t stand a chance.
I expect as a society we’ll go one of two ways: We’ll recognize the really bad impact 24/7 digital connectivity has on child development and happiness, and in 30 years people will regard kids glued to phones in the 2020s the way we look at parents in the 60s and 70s smoking in cars, and ask WTF were they thinking? Or we’ll go full Black Mirror.
I look at the way I grew up and compare it to my kids and I was much further ahead than my kids. I did get access to a Gameboy in Elementary school which I played a lot, but honestly speaking, the thing I truly believe to be a far bigger issue... Activities/actions/tasks per minute have doubled, tripled, quadrupled, quintupled from 10-20 years ago.
TL;DR rant in spoiler tags
Spoiler!
My wife and I agree certain aspects of childhood activities are completely out of control. Our kids are enrolled in activities and we've agreed we don't want to overload them like other kids who have curated childhoods and are in literally 3-4x more activities per month from like 5AM to 9PM before grade 3 (ie: Hockey, Kumon, music, second language, swimming, cycling, martial arts, other arts/STEM programs, racing etc.). Some kids love that, and it's fine. But other kids are so obviously exhausted with parents bitching about the time commitments and costs... no thank you, I'm not copying that. Sometimes I wonder if someone looked at the concept of ADHD and said, "Modern problems require modern solutions".
I think I've mentioned it before but it's crazy to me that I see elementary school kids complain about boredom, show symptoms of ennui and have insane levels of learned helplessness or bubble wrapped to the point of inexplicable cluelessness. The online environment and day to day environment don't help, but honestly speaking, it's a lot of the caregivers to the kids that are unknowingly inflicting a lot of this on the kids. Lots of good intentions but unintentionally causes lots of problems by forcing a lifestyle of rapid stop and go vs cruising through life at a good pace.
This isn't just kids, it's hugely adults. Adults control the world, not the kids. Many adults don't seem to notice it either at how much higher of an activities per minute they are at. Notifications on a phone is what most will point at, but strip away the phone and there's still plenty to point at.
For instance, as a kid, I'd frequently nap and rest when bored. The amount of people these days I've heard express an opinion about how napping is a waste of time... should do something like meditation or exercise instead... even adults have serious problems with silence, stillness and darkness.
I honestly believe that one of the things I struggle with figuring out how to teach my kids, is literally a symptom of a serious issue across all of society. We have to attach some type of equipment to the activities we do or it pointless.
Can't do #### without paparazziing it and posting it. You're a weirdo if you cloud watch or star gaze without equipment. Observe the natural world, count cars etc. without a specific objective in mind... well, you might be up to no good... fill that time with something.
For a lack of a better term, I've really tried "dumbing down" my kids childhood, sometimes to the chagrin of others. We do what most others are doing, but attempt to balance it out by taking them into the back yard to collect lady bugs, maxing out the sidewalk chalk, taking them on walks at Nosehill and attempting to identify plants, camp fire and roasting marshmellows (more like making flaming projectiles, but alas), meal prep, baking, bike rides, reading in stupid voices, blanket forts/floor vent saunas, urban exploration where we just hop on transit with the kids and slowly explore vs rush to a location in our vehicle, getting out in the world but learning how to identify the line between safe and danger, teaching the one child better at one skill to teach that skill to someone who isn't as good as them (A challenge because the older is just better at everything the younger one is right now) etc.
In a few years, I plan on teaching them basic cooking like baking or ice cream or dehydration or instant noodles etc.; advanced crafts and "construction" like real tools and raw materials but not one of those Home Depot kits... pure skill building, logic and imagination; I'll get them to start writing their own stories, making their own board games, typing lessons, beat boxing/ventriloquism, another language/ASL, home talent shows with friends to work on stage fright and presentations, music, spontaneous science experiments, volunteering at places like RMH/Childrens/retirement homes/food bank/soup kitchens etc. I seriously am super excited for this stage where I can give them only a wee bit of guidance and a nudge and see them figure things out, solve problems and confusion and accomplish things on their own rather than have to do most of it in very guided and hand held activities like right now.
It's not like I'm digging deep and saying, "Screw modern society. In my day..." Lots of these activities are modernized in episodes of the Bluey series, but IMO many parents are kinda missing the ethos of what makes Bluey great in being curious, relaxed, hardworking... and although the ethos applies to the kids, I'm talking the parents, not the kids.
I spoke with another parent a few weeks ago about the world our kids will grow up in. They have two kids with developmental disabilities. One thing we discussed was what was considered a luxurious lifestyle for a kid in the 80s/90s and what is considered a luxurious lifestyle for a kid now. Many of the things average kids have access to now put them in the ultra rich lifestyles of the 80s/90s. When I was a kid (<highschool), many toys did not exist and were expensive even if you had the money. Digital devices were considered a very expensive luxury for adults let alone being ubiquitous now. Many kids/adults received functional gifts for special occasions or sometimes nothing vs getting what they need nearly immediately.
I honestly wonder if many kids are already feeling the burden of having too many things such as toys, activities or otherwise. That's why they're exhausted or show ennui, stress and boredom at such a young age.
Sorry for the blah. It's been eating away at me. I am just doing things, I don't have an answer, I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong... I just know that many other things I've tried don't seem to have worked. My wife and I have planned to simplify but also look at ourselves and take care of ourselves first. We aim not to let ourselves orbit our children vs the other way around. If we falter or continue down a path of being a poor example, our kids are totally screwed. The world won't want to take care of them like we want to take care of them.
