Our modern world is a complex one. Few situations these days are a simple matter of black or white – more often than not, we deal in subtle shades of grey.

This is increasingly true in the parenting realm, where the once clearly defined roles of mothers and fathers are now frequently blended or even swapped over. And the same is true of the extent to which we allow our kids to embrace from an early age the technology that will be crucial to their adult lives.

There are no easy right or wrong answers, just an infinite combination of possible solutions that will vary from one family to another.

Childhood vs Technology – Diary of a Midlife Mummy

Steph has two daughters, Holly and Ella, and describes herself as a run of the mill, midlife working mummy.

Childhood vs Technology is a post she wrote over a year ago but which I have only just read this week. Should we just allow our children to become citizens of the digital age? And how much should we encourage them to instead engage in the same pastimes we did when we were kids: playing outside, riding bikes, building dens? Or is it just a case of trying to keep an appropriate balance?

You can follow Steph on her blog Diary of a Midlife Mummy and on Twitter @midlife_mummy.

Daddy Swans Can Raise Their Kids Too – Man vs. Pink

Simon is a former TV producer turned stay-at-home dad who loves his three-year-old daughter but hates ‘pinkification’.

In Daddy Swans Can Raise Their Kids Too, he talks about how his girl’s innocent assumption that the adult swan looking after its cygnets must be their mother is typical of the ages-old stereotype of the respective roles of mothers and fathers.

Does it have to be this way? No, of course not. The distinction between male and female roles in parenting is becoming increasingly blurred, with a growing army of stay-at-home dads proving they can also be adept in a more nurturing role.

You can follow Simon on his blog Man vs. Pink and on Twitter @ManVsPink.

If you have any suggestions for great posts by other bloggers you’ve read this week, feel free to add them in the comments below.

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