Our Phone Addiction

We often talk about how TV and iPad time impacts the way our kids behave, but rarely, if ever, do we discuss how the time we spend on our phones impacts the way our kids behave.

I stumbled upon this perspective during a Dr. Becky workshop and it was such an eye-opener. This post isn’t to shame, I’m just as guilty as the next parent, our phones are so accessible these days, it’s damn hard to put them down.

The fact is, our kids have a desire for attachment with us, it’s core to their safety and contributes to their happiness as they grow and navigate the world around them. But never before have kids had to fight for our attention in such a unique way.

When we’re using our phones around our kids, it’s as if that attachment is interrupted, our attention might be on our kids, but the next notification is likely a few seconds away. For me, it’s likely a YouTube notification for a video I’m not going to watch, or Dominoes Pizza offering me another £20 off when I spend £100 🤣

Inevitably, at some point when my phone is in the vicinity, my attention will be taken away from my kids at some point. When I check that useless Dominos notification, I’ll likely get pulled back into a loop of checking emails, IG, FB, Twitter, etc…

Of course, the solution isn’t to stop going on our phones, it’s the world we live in today. But it’s all about balance and awareness, especially when we’re around our kids.

I’d like to thank Dr. Becky for shedding light on this and getting me thinking. I’ve been a member of Good Inside for a few months now and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made as a parent. Dr. Becky discusses what in her house they call PNP, which is Play No Phone time. I love it and something we’re certainly going to implement in our house.

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