HOW TO WEAN A CHILD OFF THE PHONE?

Nowadays, many families face a situation when a child is constantly glued to a phone, tablet, or computer. Boys often play video games, while girls browse social media or watch cartoons.

How to wean a child off the phone?

This is truly a problem because it affects a child’s health, their desire to learn, curiosity about the world around them, and their overall development.

My family has also faced this issue.

Prohibit it?

Some people try to solve the problem by completely banning all gadgets and internet use.

I see a few problems with this approach:

  1. It’s only possible while the child is very young.
  2. Forbidden fruit is sweet. Sometimes such a ban only increases the child’s focus on the phone or computer.
  3. In today’s world, it’s crucial to know how to use modern technologies.
Сhild's addiction to the computer

What we did

I realized that what’s important to me is not whether my child plays on the phone or not, but something entirely different.

So, I made an agreement with my son that he is allowed to play on the phone when:

  1. His homework is done.
  2. He has spent at least an hour outside.
  3. His room is tidy.
  4. He has helped us with household chores.

Thanks to this, my child started helping us more, and at 8 years old, he knows how to do a lot around the house.

For example, he’s very proud of the fact that he knows how to cook :о)