Not only adults complain about their children being on their smartphones so much.
More children are complaining about the fact their parents are constantly on their devices as well.
Many moments where children expect their parents’ attention are disrupted because of the smartphone.
“daddy daddy look what I’ve made!”
Sadly, the smartphone is often more important in such moments.
Parents do regret missing those opportunities to connect with their child, to acknowledge their child for his or her efforts.
When our children have the feeling they are competing with their digital sibling the smartphone, you can assume that they will put these devices on a pedestal.
“mommy and daddy are using that thing constantly, it must be super important and integral to one’s life.”
Even when parents have a solid reason to be on their smartphone or laptop, be very mindful when your child is watching.
If your child is older, explain what you are doing and why it’s important now.
If you don’t explain why you use your smartphone, children will make up reasons of their own.
They will come up with their own reasons why they are not important and the device is.
The bad news is that those reasons won’t be positive.
Kids can’t properly see the situation from different perspectives yet, they think the world revolves around them.
So anything you do, the child can quickly believe that he or she may be lacking something that prevents them from getting that attention.
You don’t want that to happen.
Show your children that your phone is a tool, and that we use it.
Not the other way around.
You have good family values. Don’t allow your phone to make you forget about those values.
Invest in sharing your values. Empower your child.
Being a role model is super important.
Children are watching us. They see how tech is affecting us. How we are so immersed in our screens.
How we have fun with screens and not with our children. How we become angry which we may project onto our children.
Be super careful and mindful with your screen use around children.
Start early so you prevent a lot of trouble in the long run.
It’s better to prevent serious problems than having to deal with them when they already exist.