A few basic parenting ground rules to establish TECHNOLOGY HARMONY at home. We’ve all read endless articles about technology, safety and its negative impact.
Keep having conversations with your children about it. Ask them direct questions about their usage and never be afraid to adjust the rules in your home. Many parents complain about their child’s endless hours on their phones, yet have never established limits or rules.
Below are some basic rules that we must always keep in mind:
1. Try to Have a Balance – technology appears here to stay, so how do we strike a balance in our homes? We want our kids to be tech savvy as they will need to be prepared for a digital world.
First, watch for unhealthy warning signs:
- Kids complain they’re bored or unhappy if they don’t have access to technology
- Tantrums may occur in younger kids when they don’t have their technology and with your tweens and teens you may get harsh resistance to asking them to put down their technology.
- Screen time interferes with sleep, school and being with friends in person.
- You will need to revisit technology rules often as your kids grow and their interactions and time on their computers and phones will be ever changing.
2. All Technology is not Created Equal – many people have equated this to food. The 200 calories in a donut is not equal to those same calories in a salad. Are they watching endless YouTube videos vs something where they might be learning. Who are they choosing to follow?
- You can start to have thoughtful conversations around what they are watching and why? Are they watching too many heavily “glammed” instagrammers who are starting to make them feel less than? Are they spending hours online gaming?
3. Tech Free Times
- Dinnertime tech free
- Car rides and walks home from school are tech free
- Establish tech free times during school nights – all technology off an hour before bed
- Establish a reading hour a week – maybe Sunday am reading. A great time to share a story with your kids, or for older kids it’s a great opportunity for them to adopt independent reading skills.
4. Be a Role Model – we all have our own addictive behaviors that have formed with our phones.
- You can’t ask your kids to put down their phones if you are endlessly on yours.
- Establish the “tech free” times at home and follow them yourself.
5. Establish Quality Technology Rituals in the Home
- Movies/Documentaries that are watched as family
- Cooking shows and classes – then try out recipes together – develop this hobby together
- There’s so many quality sources of entertainment and “how to” tutorials on the internet, we forget to utilize it for enriching our lives. Look for mutual interests with your kids and learn a new hobby together.
Please reach out if you are having technology challenges in your home. Learn ways to establish greater communication around technology with limits.
