Meet the new next-paddock neighbours! Not that I’ve seen the alpacas take the slightest bit of notice of them, but we think they’re cute.

Jj is for Jottings: 6. Food for Thought.
While we’re on the subject of sheep, here is a disquieting story one of my “therapy mums” told me recently. If you have read the introduction to “Aa is for Alpacas” you will know that I am very concerned about the effects that exposure to various screens is having on young children. I have done some research on this, and will write on it further in later Jottings, but meanwhile here is her story:
Her brother lives on a farm and has a 6 year old child who is not overly exposed to screens. They had people visiting who had a child of the same age who spends a great deal of time with screens (iPad, computer, Xbox etc.). Everybody was outside looking at the sheep, which were not very far away in a paddock. Everyone could clearly see the sheep except the “screen child”, who could not perceive the sheep at all. Of course this child may have undiagnosed visual acuity problems, but when you think that what is happening when interacting with screens is all close work and no distance work, it seems very likely that the child has not developed long-range perception, so to speak. If you have read previous Jottings on how we learn you will know that movement and repetition are required to lay down nerve pathways, and this child has probably not been getting enough of this type of stimulation to develop his visual system properly. Worth thinking about.