In the US, about 95% of families are connected online and for all the time an adult spends at home, 5 hours are used on a computer according to a poll conducted by Yahoo titled Reader’s Digest. If technology is left unchecked, it can control your home. Here are tips that can help you take control of your family tech time.
1. Be the role model
Teenagers learn better from the model and not from the rules. If you want your children to abstain from using their tech at certain times, be an example to them. To achieve this, wake up before them and accomplish with what you have to do on the internet before they wake. Also, go to the house in the evening after finishing all your work.
Setting rules for your kids while you are doing the opposite will not yield the best results. Let your children see the rules as a norm by being an example.
2. Technology is not a necessity
Parents are obliged to provide basic needs for their children such as food, shelter, clothing, affection, and education. Let your children know that the TVs, smartphones, and computers are not a necessity but a privilege. Your children should know that an opportunity to use technology is not automatic.
If your children understand this, then they will always be trying to get the best from any tech time that they get. Also, there will be no room for conflict in the house.
3. Spend time with your family
Some parents have very little time for their children. They spend most of their times on phones, computers, or away from home and kids. What this means is that the children are left to spend most of their time alone. This may lead to addiction to some techs as these kids try to find ways to take away their loneliness.
Always ensure you are there for your family. Spend as much time with your kids as possible.
4. Parental approval
As a parent, you must approve all the technology that is used in your home. This includes the program to watch on television, the app to download, and which websites to open among others. Be strict with your kids and punish them if they fail to observe any of these conditions.
There should be no room for exception. If you are not sure about the appropriateness of a tech, find a place to get the relevant information.
5. Create a media policy
If you want to create harmony in your home, set a media policy. Decide who should use a certain technology, set the appropriate time, the duration, the place, and what is acceptable in the family among others.
Let every member of the family know about the policy. If it is written, put it in a place easily accessible to all those involved.
Martin Joseph Stallone is a prominent American financial advisor. He graduated from Cornell University with a BA in 1987. Between 1999 and 2015, he worked at Investment Management Advisory Group, Inc. (IMAGE) as the managing director. Throughout the years, he has acquired great knowledge in financial and analytical skills. He has shared his knowledge in various seminars and conferences.
