Jonathan is a child of the 21st century and as
such, he is hooked onto anything electronic. He is an expert of using a PC, the
World Wide Web, television and DVD players as well as smart phones to seek
entertainment. It’s lucky I control the passwords to these devices…slowly
electronic devices become useful for more constructive requirements…
“Tom and Jerry” is a favorite “You Tube” show for Jonathan. He
has long learned to find the videos by himself, including hitting the right
keys on the keyboard to initiate a search (so it’s no longer “mommy, please
write tom and jerry got me…), the process was a simple one, he opened a web
page (with the mouse on Firefox, he knows how and recognizes the symbol easily)
then he took a cover of a DVD of Tom and Jerry to the computer and simply
compared the letters on it to the letters on the keyboard, and pressed the
correct ones. Since he has learned this
skill, it has become harder to stop him from watching videos on the computer
and limiting it to interactive games only. To complete the learning cycle,
Jonathan has proudly sown me a drawing in which he attempted (a successful yet
wiggly attempt) to write the words “Tom and Jerry” in English, right alongside
his name in English/German and in Hebrew as well as the word Mommy (Imma) in
Hebrew…
Recently he chose to use the show to express his request for
a particular dinner. When he wanted to say that he was hungry, he instructed me
to look at the computer, which was featuring Jerry mouse swallowing a piece of
cheese (and being turned into a triangle in the process). Another time, when
indicating that he wanted to help me cook, he once again turned me to the
screen and showed me that Tom’s head was on fire (we use gas stoves with
visible fire in Israel to cook on). Another time he showed me that he wanted a
birthday party, by allowing me to see an episode that included a cake with
candles (and I also believe an explosion of some kind, unfortunately for Tom
cat).
Jonathan communicates best with friends around a computer
(or if need be a smart phone). He can sit on hours with a friend and watch some
funny You Tube of SpongeBob, play a game on a free games site (which he knows
how to turn on himself) or play some “app” game like “angry birds”. The boys
sit together huddled around some electronic device and their entire social
exchange is dependent on it. As Jonathan
is an active boy and we make efforts to get him out of the house to the nearby
playground often enough, his love of the electronic world is not causing him
weight problems, but I do think it can impair his social world. So when a
friend comes to visit, I try to get them to interact around “normal” games,
like a card game, or a competition of jumping plastic frogs, or a tent Jonathan
has standing in the middle of my living room … but sooner or later, the effort
becomes exhausting and I relent and allow them to watch a DVD or play on the
computer, while I go to fix them dinner.
It is always
frustrating to see that the social interactions of my son are best next to a
screen of some sort - in front of a screen he can be animated, friendly and
even generous (allowing the other child to play), these social skills disappear
when the electronic device is turned off and Jonathan, I regret to say, is not
much fun to lay with – he hates to lose and will not observe any rules of a
simple box game.
Still, not all hope is lost! Jonathan is fascinated by the
written word and adores his bed time stories. Looking at books is still exiting
and he loves to draw and paint and work with his hands – helping me cook in the
kitchen is always fun! Writing letters and words has become a major pass time,
including making all sort of signs (like direction signs to his room, with his
name on it, or the kitchen or restroom…all which hang on our walls and remain
there because when I try to take them off Jonathan scolds me that people may
get lost in our home…it is not relevant that we live in an apartment). He even
created a drawing for the house door, featuring all 4 family members
(interestingly mommy was very fat, Jonathan huge, Jasmin looking like a dog
because she is drawn crawling baby and daddy is thin…despite the fact that he
is huge is real life…) and our Family name written in squabbled letters by Jonathan himself!
Unfortunately, he loses interest quickly in almost any
activity (except free drawing and any form of electronic screen entertainment).
I wonder if this is because he is a five year old and kids are impatient
(especially boys), or is it the first signs of an attention deficit, or is it
because he is a boy, or is it just the
way 21st century kids are? I
guess I shall have to wait and see how he turns out. Years from now, I may read
this post with enjoyment, knowing the answer…
Jonathan is well aware that this blog exists! He asked me
one day to tell him about when he was younger (for a five year old it’s a
statement indeed!) because I has laughed about something his little sister did,
and said that he had also been that way. At this opportunity I also mentioned
the blog and told him that I was writing things to remember. A few days later he
asked me to show him “his story”. And so, I didJ
