By Lori EhdeHow we spend time with our children and what we do with our children is how we build our future.That’s the message Dr. Hilary Stecklein will bring to Luverne next week when she presents "How to Build a Better Brain: The Competing Role of Media."She’ll share information with the community at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, in the elementary school commons.She’s passionate about her message to anyone working with children."If we don’t have caring, thoughtful, team players who are emotionally competent, then we aren’t going to have a successful democracy," she said. "This is huge … This is a charge to all of us … These are really important things for us to understand."Stecklein said there are countless child development experts pushing theories on how best to care for children, but her information comes from science.She quotes such reputable sources as the Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development, the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine."Their brains are being wired for certain patterns of learning," Stecklein said.She said too much "screen time" in front of TVs, computers and video games is affecting their chances for success now and later in life."Kids who are watching more vivid images are developing brain connections that increase aggressiveness, decrease attention span and lower tolerance," Stecklein said. "Further, they’re not developing language skills that they need to effectively solve problems."Stecklein is a pediatrician, clinical professor at the University of Minnesota and founder of the early literacy program, Reading Rx."It’s not going to be all about TV bashing," Stecklein said about her upcoming visit to Luverne."We have an obligation to understand what we’re teaching our children. I’m not saying ‘Don’t watch television.’ I’m saying keep an eye on the volume and content. … The trick is to make them competent media consumers."Stecklein said her talk Tuesday night will include practical information such as establishing a media plan in homes, and she’ll emphasize that it’s never too late to make improvements."No parent intentionally wants less than the best for their kids," she said. "But people start to lose track of what’s happening with the children. There are so many things competing with their time and attention, that, by default almost, we’ve developed patterns of spending time that aren’t healthy."Not only is too much screen time bad for children, but it prevents them from doing other healthy things like creative play, reading and physical activity."Part of it is that it’s such a mentally passive activity it deprives children of activities we have traditionally been doing — including other kinds of social interaction," she said."There’s no question we have lowered school performance and increased obesity and all sorts of behavioral issues."Stecklein comes to Luverne through the Rock County Collaborative, Early Childhood Connections (formerly Healthy Families) and the Rock County Interagency Early Intervention Committee.Questions can be directed to Nobles-Rock Public Health, 283-5066, and Luverne Community Education, 283-4724.Stecklein said she’s looking forward to working with a community that puts so much importance on child development."The people in Luverne are so far ahead of the rest of the state in trying to get people educated on these issues," she said. "They’re working to get everyone involved — social services, education, medicine and business."Stecklein will speak to Luverne Public School staff members from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday in the elementary commons, and to area professionals from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Rock County Human Services Community Room.Child care is available at ECFE for the community presentation at 7 p.m. if families call ahead at 283-4724.
