The Best Ways to Preserve Family Time in the Digital Age
There’s more of everything in the modern world. We feel that there’s so many different things pulling us in various directions that there’s very little sense of sanctity, particularly as a parent. If you’re trying to ensure that your anxious children have some sense of normality, family time is undoubtedly one of the best tactics. However, it can seem that this concept of family time doesn’t exist, partly because we’re all on our phones, but we’ve also got too much to do. Preserving quality family time can be challenging, but it’s crucial because we can maintain strong relationships and ensure there is that sense of balance. Here are a few things to consider:
Active and Engaging Family Activities
We may feel that we should absolutely avoid devices when it comes to family activities; however, there is absolutely nothing wrong with mixing and matching, especially if digital activity promotes some benefits. You could play games like Spider Solitaire and Sudoku as a family that fosters communication and friendly competition.
You could, of course, venture into the real world and play certain games as well, like board games, but you could also organise outdoor adventures where tech has very little involvement. The most important thing to remember is that if we’re providing engaging distractions away from devices that our children enjoy, everybody will benefit. Just don’t think about completely eradicating devices, because this sense of absence will make the heart grow fonder from your children’s point of view.
Optimise Family Screen Time
If you are using technology, focus on making it a shared experience rather than an individual one. One of the big problems with technology is that it becomes a very personal thing as we use it by ourselves. Instead, start using technology for projects or activities that involve collaboration. Think about the type of content you all use, not just your children.
Think about its quality, and then use these things to combine that screen use with a sense of togetherness. Ultimately, quality time in the age of the screen is not about avoiding devices altogether because this is absolutely impossible. Therefore, it’s about leaning into these experiences and getting the best out of the situation.
Setting the Example and the Right Communication
We must remember that we are constantly being observed as the model of how to live and behave. We should be mindful of our own screen time, particularly around our children.
If you are using your phone for something that involves idly scrolling or similar practices, start to look at responsible usage, for example, using your phone to play games and participate in activities that actively benefit you.
Finally, we should also remember to discuss these things with our children, have open-minded conversations about media use, and encourage everybody to share their online activities and any concerns they may have.
By implementing these strategies, we can endeavour to create a balanced approach to technology but also prioritise the one thing that will benefit us all: quality family time.
