Do you remember a tech-free childhood? For the most part, I do, with the exception of television. I am thankful I didnt grow up during the era of iPads and iPhones, and everything that comes with them easy access to streamed movies and TV shows,YouTube, games, andendless social media feeds. I didnt have adevice to distract meat the fancy restaurant. When I was bored, my parents told me to read, to go outside, to play with my sister. <\/p>\n
I was a nanny for a long time as a young adult, during the emergence of iPhones, iPads, and the social media hype. I can tell youthat I saw firsthand its effects on childrens desire to go outside and play, to interact with their siblings, and to fill the void of boredom with books, board games, or even a tree outsiderather than a screen. <\/p>\n
While there is certainly a lot of opinions on todays technology and our children, and I respect parents choices for their children, and I do believe iPhones, iPads, social media, and more are more than just unavoidable, but also beneficial in many circumstances. However, I alsobelieve in the simplicity of life; in the power of getting dirty in nature; in using your creativity to make up games with your sibling; in getting lost in a book. <\/p>\n
It seems New Zealand photographer and mother of four Niki Boondoes too. In a series called Childhood in the Raw, she documented her childrens everyday lives, showcasing the joys of a tech-free world. <\/p>\n
This project came into being with our decision to educate our children alternatively, at home, Boon told HuffPost. <\/p>\n
As one might assume, there have been a lot of questions and criticism from friends, family, and strangers regarding the familys lifestyle. Boon, her husband, and their children a 12-year-old daughter and three sons, ages 7, 9, and 13 live in a rural environment without modernelectronic devices like TV and smartphones. <\/p>\n
In the beginning, the photos served as a visual document, to record things that the children were doing in a day, to reassure both others and ourselves that there was learning taking place, Boon said. <\/p>\n
But as time went on, I became frustrated that the pictures werent really telling the story well enough for me. It just wasnt with enough depth, she continued. <\/p>\n
So I spent many hours and late nights trying to teach myself how to take better pictures, ones that depicted what I was seeing in front of me, and tell the story the way I saw it and things just evolved from there. <\/p>\n
Boons tech-free childhood, in which she grew up on a farm with extended family, sparked her desire to give her children a similar experience. <\/p>\n
Like all parents we would love our children to be strong in who they are, confident, free thinkers, proactive, independent, resilient, empathetic and happy, said Boon. I hope that, living with the land that we have, that they also gain a healthy respect for the earth, and for the animals and plants that live with us on it. <\/p>\n
Boon hopes, if anything can be taken away from the series, it is that her children have the opportunity to look back on it and smile. <\/p>\n
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Photo Series Shows Kids Enjoying Childhood Without Technology - Collective Evolution<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you remember a tech-free childhood? For the most part, I do, with the exception of television. Continue reading