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Scott Dunlop
There’s something I’ve never read about in any parenting book but which is probably one of the most important skills for any mom and dad to learn: Searching.
Not the hunt for those elusive socks or invisible school books, but rather mastering the art of finding things online.
It’s not as easy as you may think. There is so much information available that it can be hard to find exactly what you want without wading through pages of irrelevant material.
How many times have you started searching for, say, jungle gym manufacturers only to find yourself watching video of a sloth riding a bicycle and wondering vaguely how you managed to get there?
But for parents The Search is utterly essential. I can’t imagine how previous generations managed without it. Libraries offer lots of knowledge but lack the ease of delivery of an online search.
You can find medical information, recipes, jokes, movies, answers to homework questions, holiday destinations and parenting tips.
As you become more sophisticated at searching, you begin to realise little quirks which will help you have a more enjoyable experience. For example, it just takes one image search with your child watching over your shoulder for you to understand that even the most innocent of words may bring up shocking pictures.
If I’m looking for pictures to show my kids, I generally ask them to look away while searching so that they don’t get exposed to dodgy material. We love looking up crazy, funny or entertaining videos on YouTube, and we’ve learned how to navigate these searches without coming across anything too gross.
Pinterest has now taken over as the primary source of kid’s party ideas. Where else can you find an infinite selection of images to inspire you and save you time and money? It’s a haven for parents who find it hard to come up with fresh themes and creative snacks.
I read recently that the question "why is the sky blue?" is one of the most-searched phrases on the internet. You can be certain that in homes across the world kids are squinting up at their parents and asking them this. Before Google, we’d have been stammering something about water droplets and the sun, and then giving up. Now we can provide an answer with illustrations within seconds!
So parenting is made a million times easier by searching. Almost anything you and your child could want to know is out there waiting to be discovered.
If only the internet really could track down those missing socks…
What’s the most interesting/funniest/heart-warming video about kids you’ve seen on YouTube? Send us the link and you could win a R250 Kalahari.com voucher! Email us: chatback@parent24.com.
Not the hunt for those elusive socks or invisible school books, but rather mastering the art of finding things online.
It’s not as easy as you may think. There is so much information available that it can be hard to find exactly what you want without wading through pages of irrelevant material.
How many times have you started searching for, say, jungle gym manufacturers only to find yourself watching video of a sloth riding a bicycle and wondering vaguely how you managed to get there?
But for parents The Search is utterly essential. I can’t imagine how previous generations managed without it. Libraries offer lots of knowledge but lack the ease of delivery of an online search.
You can find medical information, recipes, jokes, movies, answers to homework questions, holiday destinations and parenting tips.
As you become more sophisticated at searching, you begin to realise little quirks which will help you have a more enjoyable experience. For example, it just takes one image search with your child watching over your shoulder for you to understand that even the most innocent of words may bring up shocking pictures.
If I’m looking for pictures to show my kids, I generally ask them to look away while searching so that they don’t get exposed to dodgy material. We love looking up crazy, funny or entertaining videos on YouTube, and we’ve learned how to navigate these searches without coming across anything too gross.
Pinterest has now taken over as the primary source of kid’s party ideas. Where else can you find an infinite selection of images to inspire you and save you time and money? It’s a haven for parents who find it hard to come up with fresh themes and creative snacks.
I read recently that the question "why is the sky blue?" is one of the most-searched phrases on the internet. You can be certain that in homes across the world kids are squinting up at their parents and asking them this. Before Google, we’d have been stammering something about water droplets and the sun, and then giving up. Now we can provide an answer with illustrations within seconds!
So parenting is made a million times easier by searching. Almost anything you and your child could want to know is out there waiting to be discovered.
If only the internet really could track down those missing socks…
What’s the most interesting/funniest/heart-warming video about kids you’ve seen on YouTube? Send us the link and you could win a R250 Kalahari.com voucher! Email us: chatback@parent24.com.
