If you're like me, you'll have many an argument with your child/children, about their mobile phone usage! They really are the bane of my life at the moment. But how much of that is my problem and how much is theirs.
As a parent, it's our job to try and protect our children and when we are faced with the knowledge that too much screen time can cause the following problems:
- Sleep problems
- Slower development in social and life skills
- Decrease in physical health
- Problems with self-confidence and anxiety
- Increased susceptibility to brainwashing
- Behavioural issues
It's hard to know what to do for the best. Forcefully, taking their phones can lead to anger and resentment, but leaving it up to them to make good choices is stressful and frustrating as you sit waiting for them to choose to go outside, do some arts and crafts, help around the house, rather than sit in their room on their phone. So what can you do?!!
Here are just a couple of ideas on how to tackle the mobile phone issue:
- Model healthy electronic use - remember that your behaviour sets an example to your children, so bear that in mind when binge-watching your favourite Netflix series, or keep the TV on in the background while scrolling through your phone! Model the behaviour you hope to see in your kids.
- Keep car journeys phone free - being in the car is the ideal time to make conversations with your children, especially to and from school. So ask that they don't use their phones and instead talk about the good things that happen in both your days.
- Use parental controls or time frames - There are tools you can use to filter or block unwanted content. You can even set daily screen time limits that can lock your children out of apps after they have reached a set amount of time. Or you can simply ask them to leave their phone in the kitchen for a couple of hours after school, while they focus on other things.
- Encourage other activities - encourage them to get involved in activities that don’t require a screen like playing outside, reading a book, playing a board game, cooking or arts and crafts.
- Keep bedrooms screen-free - the temptation is often too much for your child to bear and with devices in their bedrooms, it's leaving it open for them to go on them after they have gone to bed, which can result in interrupted sleep and other sleep problems.
Remember, you are the parent and as much as your child will do everything they can to convince you of their need to have their phones surgically attached to their hands, it really important to help them develop a healthy relationship with their phones.
I have found that talking with my girls about their phones and trying to understand the level of importance they place on them has helped us to establish healthier boundaries, because ultimately as your child grows up and enters the teenage years, it's key for them to feel that they are in control of their mobile phone usage and not that their mobile phones is in control of them!
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