Last weekend, I was at a USS swim meet and heard parents and coaches complaining about the "distraction" of many swimmers now. They blame this distraction (in addition to the rise of the boy/girl crazy period) on the advent of cell phones and IM-ing, etc. Apparently, at meets, and I've seen it, the kids spent scads of time on their cells phones, phoning friends, phoning kids across the pool, texting constantly (even to kids 5 feet away). Then they go home and IM for hours, checking and gossiping over the instant meet results and who beat who. Now, all the swimmers seem to know each other because, even if they're not on the same team or live in different states, they now can communicate easily via IM-ing and texting. I heard one coach say he's not sure how to get his swim kids to focus in this new techo-age. Obviously, some kids are focused like lasers, but I see an abundance of chatting and cell phone use too. Would kids do better without cell phones at meets? And is technology distracting them? Some seem to be swimming blazingly fast, but are others not swimming up to their potential because of this?
Parents
Former Member
I can tell your kids are younger than mine. You have to be lay down rules, but you gotta give them some room too.
Some parents think that kids are adapted to multi-tasking while doing homework, etc., and that it doesn't hinder them. I've heard both views. I tend to be more old-fashioned and think they should be focused on their homework or swimming. But others don't. I guess their grades and times are the test.
hehe...yes joking aside grades and results (or at least best efforts regardlwss of outcome) are the barometer. You do good, you get rewards...you do bad;you lose them.
My house: No TV's in bedooms, no phones in kids's bedrooms no computers in bedrooms, radios and cd's yes. Computers in the bedroom won't happen. TV's might creep in within a year or two.
I can tell your kids are younger than mine. You have to be lay down rules, but you gotta give them some room too.
Some parents think that kids are adapted to multi-tasking while doing homework, etc., and that it doesn't hinder them. I've heard both views. I tend to be more old-fashioned and think they should be focused on their homework or swimming. But others don't. I guess their grades and times are the test.
hehe...yes joking aside grades and results (or at least best efforts regardlwss of outcome) are the barometer. You do good, you get rewards...you do bad;you lose them.
My house: No TV's in bedooms, no phones in kids's bedrooms no computers in bedrooms, radios and cd's yes. Computers in the bedroom won't happen. TV's might creep in within a year or two.
