Your kids learn a lot by watching you, and they can pick up your habits, both good and bad. Technology has become a central part of our lives. If you want your kids to use technology responsibly, you have to model the types of behaviors that you want to see in them.
Limit Your Use of Technology
Many of us don’t realize how much we use our devices on a daily basis. Be more conscious about when and how you use your phone, tablet or laptop, and think about why you use it. Technology may be essential for you to do your job and keep in touch with loved ones, but if you spend hours every day looking at social media or watching videos just to pass the time, your kids are likely to adopt similar habits.
Make an effort to use technology when it’s actually necessary and to limit the amount that you use your device for entertainment. Focus on participating in real-life activities and making face-to-face connections with others.
Don’t Have Your Phone at the Dinner Table
Sharing a meal can be an excellent way for a family to bond, but it has become common for families to gather around the dinner table with each person looking at a cellphone. That can make the experience of eating together a source of disconnection. It can make people feel isolated, even when they’re surrounded by loved ones.
Make a family rule that cellphones and other devices aren’t allowed at the dinner table. If you have to make an exception occasionally to deal with a work-related or family emergency, let other members of your family know why you have your device at the table.
Don’t Use Your Phone Behind the Wheel
Texting, emailing and checking social media while driving can be incredibly dangerous. Even if you only take your eyes off the road for a few seconds, you can drive hundreds of feet with no idea what’s happening around you. That’s enough time for a tragic accident to occur.
Put your phone away while driving. That can help keep you, your kids and other people on the road safe, plus, it will teach your children an important lesson about personal responsibility and looking out for others.
Watch What You Say on Social Media
Many people post things on social media that they later come to regret. People sometimes say things online that they would never say to someone’s face.
Think before you post comments on social media. If your kids see inappropriate comments that you made, they may be embarrassed by your behavior, or they may think that saying those types of things is perfectly acceptable.
If you have something negative to say online, state it in a respectful way. If you need to have a difficult conversation with someone, consider doing it privately.
