Much of our time is spent in “hurry-up-and-wait” mode. One thing that tends to get pushed to the side in the rush is quiet time with our kids. The next time you have a few minutes while you are waiting with your child (like at the dentist’s office), take advantage of those precious moments. Put away the phone and talk to your child!
Many parents are becoming more concerned about the amount of time their kids are spending in front of a screen, whether a computer, tablet or television. However, they may be overlooking the amount of time they themselves are in front of a screen. In fact, “Adults in the U.S. are averaging five hours and nine minutes daily with digital media, up from four hours and 31 minutes last year and three hours and 50 minutes in 2011.”
And adults aren’t just in front of a screen when sitting at a desk at work: “60% or so of social media time is spent not on desktop computers but on smartphones and tablets.”
Parents, what is your child learning from you? Children benefit greatly from a little one-on-one attention from mom and dad. Children who get attention from their parents are more confident. While they do better in school, they also do better at home. In other words when children feel they don’t have to act out for some undivided attention, they are less likely to do so.
So put down the phone and spend some time with your child. Talk about school. Talk about weekend plans. You might be surprised at the benefits.