Good reminders here and some genuinely smart things to think about and implement.
I think of phones like alcohol. Because they’re kids, and esp when they’re younger, there will be a small amount of do as I say not as I do. And ultimately, esp as they get older, the behaviors we model will likely have more and more of an impact in how our kids use alcohol than simply what we say. If as parents we build a foundation of hypocrisy with our kids, it’s making it harder on them and us.
Thank you for your thoughts and feedback Matt! I figured that with many kids off for summer break right now, this might come in timely as Nicole mentioned above.
Some great ideas, not only for families, but also for adults like myself who don’t have kids in the home but are responsible for accomplishing household and personal tasks. It’s so much easier and more “fun” to pick up my phone to play a game (or 2 or 3 or…), read articles & notifications about current events, share memes, check the weather forecast multiple times, etc. than to start a productive task/project, even if that task involves a digital tool. This helpful article helps me begin to look deeper into from what am I trying to “escape”, and why, and to make some adjustments to be more satisfyingly productive, no matter how small the first steps are.
And I agree, we're kind of in the same boat here, and I know it's a work in progress for all our parents, myself included. I'm hoping what I included can be helpful too for those even without kids to maybe get their screen time habits back on track.
Yes! This is such a great article! I love that you talk about looking at the parents’ screen time and going from there. It’s true, so often I’ve caught myself feeling the need to check my phone when it’s not really necessary at the time. Being mindful about my own phone use has had a positive impact on my kids. I also talk about what I’m doing on my phone and why so they can see I’m not mindlessly scrolling. This has led to them sharing more of what they’re doing and opened up some great conversations! Your day to day plan for changing habits is laid so so well and is actually do-able! Thanks for this! 💙
I was lucky. Cell phones were only something we saw on X-Files! My kids grew up cell-phone free until they had their licenses. No video games on weeknights, because it seemed to kick off bad habits during the school day.
What good reminders!
Thank you so much Katherine! Hopefully they’re helpful!
Good reminders here and some genuinely smart things to think about and implement.
I think of phones like alcohol. Because they’re kids, and esp when they’re younger, there will be a small amount of do as I say not as I do. And ultimately, esp as they get older, the behaviors we model will likely have more and more of an impact in how our kids use alcohol than simply what we say. If as parents we build a foundation of hypocrisy with our kids, it’s making it harder on them and us.
Thank you for your thoughts and feedback Matt! I figured that with many kids off for summer break right now, this might come in timely as Nicole mentioned above.
I think your analogy is perfect in this sense.
Some great ideas, not only for families, but also for adults like myself who don’t have kids in the home but are responsible for accomplishing household and personal tasks. It’s so much easier and more “fun” to pick up my phone to play a game (or 2 or 3 or…), read articles & notifications about current events, share memes, check the weather forecast multiple times, etc. than to start a productive task/project, even if that task involves a digital tool. This helpful article helps me begin to look deeper into from what am I trying to “escape”, and why, and to make some adjustments to be more satisfyingly productive, no matter how small the first steps are.
I needed this. Especially since it is summer break for my kids. We all could do better and it starts with me!
I'm glad to hear that it resonated Nicole!
And I agree, we're kind of in the same boat here, and I know it's a work in progress for all our parents, myself included. I'm hoping what I included can be helpful too for those even without kids to maybe get their screen time habits back on track.
Yes! This is such a great article! I love that you talk about looking at the parents’ screen time and going from there. It’s true, so often I’ve caught myself feeling the need to check my phone when it’s not really necessary at the time. Being mindful about my own phone use has had a positive impact on my kids. I also talk about what I’m doing on my phone and why so they can see I’m not mindlessly scrolling. This has led to them sharing more of what they’re doing and opened up some great conversations! Your day to day plan for changing habits is laid so so well and is actually do-able! Thanks for this! 💙
https://substack.com/@unscriptedmama/note/c-129626469
I was lucky. Cell phones were only something we saw on X-Files! My kids grew up cell-phone free until they had their licenses. No video games on weeknights, because it seemed to kick off bad habits during the school day.