Go old school! Challenge your kids to navigating without electronics

Having recently moved to New York and I’ve learned not only my new neighborhood, but the entire transportation system. I know where I am when I up out of the subway. But don’t get me started on navigating certain parts of the city below 14th St. with no grid.

The question I constantly find myself asking family members who have lived here for years, “How did you know where you were without a Smartphone?!” And better yet, “How did you meet up with people without texting?”

For many, the challenge may be deciding where to meet friends or where to shop but for me, it’s about knowing how long it will take me to get there and knowing where I’m going so I don’t look lost. Armed with Google Maps and a built-in GPS, I plug in my starting and finishing coordinates and off I go.

As I’ve recently learned, a lot more went into getting to your destination: looking up routes, printing out maps and directions, knowing surrounding landmarks so you could pick a meeting place, and, heaven forbid, leaving yourself plenty of time to get there so you didn’t run late and miss who you were meeting. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done those things but growing up in the digital age, I never had to consistently. It sounds like a lot of work but there’s something to be said for learning directions, responsibility, and punctuality. Nowadays, we can text if we’re running late or mindlessly follow the voice of the GPS guiding us.

So, I propose a challenge! Next time the family (or your older kids) go somewhere, try one of the following “old school” ways of getting around:

1. Leave the GPS at home—bring a map and get to know the route, especially if it’s one you’ll use again. You’ll learn the street names or public transportation stops, which can come in useful during detours or system changes.
2. Learn some common landmarks around your final destination—not only will you have a better idea of when you’re close, but you’ll learn something about the area you’re about to spend time in.
3. Agree not to call or text (unless an emergency) if meeting up with friends—see how punctual you can be and leave out the unnecessary communication such as “I’m here, see you in a few.”

Sound like fun? Ready, go!

Allison Parker is an Account Manager at Mom Central and can be found studying the NYC Subway Map and which avenues run “uptown” or “downtown.”

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