As bedtime neared, the four-year-old cosied up to her mother and pressed her for telling a story. The loving mother narrated tales of horses and elephants, and lulled her little girl to sleep. This scenario is, however, quite an infrequent sight nowadays, isn’t it?
Andrea Piacquadio/Unsplash | With the advent of technology, there has been a major disruption in the parent-child relationship
With the advent of technology, there has been a major disruption in the parent-child relationship. Audiobooks have now replaced storybooks, and apps and games have now become pacifiers to calm a crying baby. And considering the fact that schools have been replaced by online classes since the past year, there’s practically no limit to screen time now!
But if this goes on for eternity, do you ever wonder what will happen to the iconic parent-child relationship? Not only will kids grow apart from their parents, but they will probably consider phones and tablets as their bffs.
So, although technology is a great source of knowledge and communication, there’s a dire need to establish a balance in its usage. To help you along, here are 4 tips you can use to build a healthy relationship between your child and technology.
#1 - Set strict rules with screen time
It’s always easier to watch endless amounts of cartoons or play games as compared to reading a book. So, no matter how much your child begs and disrupts your important calls with the loudest screams, you have to be firm on tech time limits. Here, technology comes in handy. If you’re busy doing some work, you can set timers on Echo/Alexa or on your mobile phones to alert you.
Monstera/Unsplash | No matter how much your child begs and disrupts your important calls, you have to be firm on tech time limits
#2 - Delay the purchase of technical mediums as much as you can
With everything happening virtually nowadays, it’s hard to work with just one digital device at home. But remember, the moment you get your child a medium they can call their ‘own’, they will become exposed to limitless screen time. So, try delaying the purchase as long as you can. Instead, you can buy one and tell your child to share it with their sibling or with you.
#3 - Choose tech-based media wisely
No matter how much you hate seeing a phone in your child’s hands, it is of utter necessity nowadays. So, the least that you can do is, choose the tech-based media that your child interacts with wisely. Often, a wrong medium exposes the child to adult content, bullying or violence. So, always pick the safest technological medium for the innocent soul.
#4 - Engage in some non-screen activities
No matter how busy you are, make it a ritual to devote at least 15-20 minutes to play with your child every day. Create a list of five to six non-screen activities such as drawing, building blocks, tic-tac-toe, or the simplest of all, hide and seek! Apart from indoor activities, you can take your child for an evening stroll in the park. Remember, the main goal is to keep the magic of real-life play alive!
Gustavo Fring/Unsplash | No matter how busy you are, make it a ritual to devote at least 15-20 minutes to play with your child every day
To wrap it up
Ripping an iPad or phone out of your young child’s hands is no less than a struggle these days. But remember, the parent-child relationship is the most precious of all relationships. So, employ these 4 amazing tips, and don’t let the tech demon get the better of your bond.
