Technology is vital in our everyday life and we have to agree that it makes our daily routine effortlessly easy. Still, there’s a downside to it, where we automatically reach for our smartphone as soon as we wake up and attach to it while we neglecting other important things that we should do. Technology is absolutely necessary for adults and slowly taking over our kids too! Kids nowadays choose smartphones or gadgets rather than toys, and some of the kids can use smartphones better than us. It gets harder to control how long and how often our kids should use their gadgets.

It happens when they see us spending a big chunk of time scrolling phones, so their logic will kick in “if mom and dad can do it, so do I.” Parents put down your phone for a moment and look at your kids. If you feel that gadget use is getting out of hand at home, maybe it’s time to set stricter rules. This rule should apply to everyone in the house, not only your kids. You can start with banning the using of gadgets at these three areas at your home.

1. The dining room

Dinnertime is the best time to strengthen the family bonding. As busy parents, dinner is the only mealtime where you can sit down together with your family members and communicate. Put aside your smartphones and ask your kids how’s their day at school, listen to their stories and communicate. Make sure everyone turns off their phones or silence them during dinnertime. Have you done this before? Know that you have missed the whole meaningful moments with your kids.

2. In the bedroom

Playing phones before sleeping can lead to several severe problems such as insomnia and bad vision. The light emitted by screens makes one less likely to fall asleep faster. Note that kids need a good night’s sleep to have a good health, better school performance, and general well-being.

Set a specific time before bed for kids to hand over their phones so that they cannot access to their phone at night. This is not only good for the kids, but parents too as smartphones can give negative impacts on relationships. Unplug your gadgets before bedtime and you can see the positive results.

3. In the car

Some parents employ this technique to keep their kids behave in the car. But some psychologists suggest storing phones in the glove compartment until you arrive at your destination. Being on the phone can be distracting and is not at all safe, especially for the driver. Majority of road accidents happened due to the negligence of drivers in using smartphones while driving.

Using electronic devices in the car also hinder what could be meaningful conversations. The car ride will be quiet and uninteresting. Kids need time to daydream, deal with anxieties, process their thoughts and share them with parents. Let them be creative!

Tips on raising a low-gadget kid in the digital age

Kids need various types of activities that will help in their development. SPending too much time on gadgets and smartphones may cause delays and hamper some aspects of their development. It’s difficult to raise a low-gadget kid in this digital age but you can nail it. The key point here is moderation.

It’s impossible to totally ban gadgets among your kids. However, you can try setting rules and balance the time spent on gadgets and actual life. Here are some tips on raising a low-gadget kid:

1. Teach the kids to share

Letting each of your kids get their own smartphones would definitely avoid fighting and bickering, but it also means that each kid will have potentially longer time using their gadgets. Imagine if there is only one device available, they need to share the gadget and effectively lessen the time spent on playing gadget. This is also a good opportunity to teach your kids the value of sharing and taking turns.

2. Set a “gadget schedule” for your kids

Limit their time spent on playing gadgets by setting a schedule. Set a specific time for using it and remember, moderation is the key. It is recommended for a maximum of 2 hours for kids ages 3 to 8 or you can reduce it as you wish. Another option that you can try is by allowing kids to play with gadgets only during weekends or on certain days of the week only. Make sure your kids follow the schedule tentatively.

3. Parental control is a must

Gadgets or smartphones is the gateway for your kids to explore a lot of things. Everything can be reached by just one click. So make sure you have parental control over the device that gets on your child’s hands. It is a must that you know every application installed and yo get the final say on what gets installed or not.

Before you let your kids install any application, take it for a test drive by using it yourself first. This will let you know what your child will be doing with the app. Some app may be inappropriate for your kids such as chatrooms. Youtube for instance also can be dangerous for your kids. Set a parental control to filter all inappropriate videos that are not suitable for your kids.

4. Give them options

Don’t make it as a habit to give gadgets or smartphones as their birthday present. Gadget is not the only thing they can get their hands on. Instead of giving them gadgets or smartphones, try to provide them with other options. Kids are almost always looking for something to do and to keep busy with, and a book is best to substitute gadget.

Get to know what your kids find interesting such as storybook, crayon, coloring book, LEGO, puzzles, Rubik cube or toys. Bring your kids outdoor or to other places where they can freely run and play. Believe us, outdoor activities will excite them more than gadgets. Parents, what you did for fun when you were young? Teach them to do the same things that you did before.

5. Be a good parent

Be a parent is not an easy task. This is probably one of the most difficult things to do. There is no exact guideline in parenting but you could give a good example to your kids. If your kids see you spending time on smartphones, then it will be much easier for them to do the same. Remember, monkey see, monkey do. Unplug yourselves from the digital world and spend quality time with your family. Create memories together and cherish the moment.