As a mother, I understand all too well the challenges of keeping kids away from electronic devices in this modern era. However, with dedication, it’s possible to guide our children in healthier directions. Here, I provide my personal opinions that you may find useful.

As parents, our foremost duty is to raise our children properly. Being a parent is not easy at all, especially for a mother. There are a lot of challenges that come with raising your child.

I know there are times when you feel exhausted, tired, and maybe even frustrated. Day by day, handling children becomes increasingly tough. During those times, parents give smartphones to their kids as an alternative way of calming them. However, if certain habits are instilled from their birth, these efforts will pay off in the long run.

Is smartphone obsession beneficial or detrimental?

Firstly, it’s essential to understand that giving smartphones to keep children busy is not the right approach.

WHO (World Health Organization) recommended in 2019 that children aged two to five restrict their screen use to one hour per day, which is preferable. This is not because screens are hazardous to youngsters. But, a child’s obsession with the screen deprives them of time to stay physically active and sleep.

Children who are glued to smartphones often face certain issues. Such as-

Visual issue: According to research, there are visionary problems among smartphone addicts.

Tantrum problem: Children who are attached to devices ,pay less interest to other activities. Their stubbornness gradually grows when they are forbidden from using electronics.

Parenting in the Digital Age: Nurturing Healthy Screen Habits for Kids

So, here i am mentioning some points for keeping kids away  from smartphones that have worked for me and might be helpful to you- 

1.Build a device-free habit from birth

Establishing good habits from birth is something that should be implemented in your house. The time when parents really need to connect with their infant is when they start responding to their environment. Try to interact with the baby more by talking to them, playing with various toys, and playing with them. When they start focusing on everything, that time parents should keep their smartphones aside. You will eventually need to teach your child that cellphones are meant solely for voice and video calls.

2.Stop using phones in front of children

Parents are more and more occupied with their phones these days, even when it has little to do with their jobs. My spouse and I made the decision to stop utilizing phones in front of our twins when they began concentrating on my devices. This is a really important point. Infants follow in the footsteps of their parents. Even when I wrote this article, there were many breaks in my writing since I had to spend time with them first. I schedule my time to write whenever they go to sleep.

3.Outdoor Activities

 Outdoor time is a must. A particular time should be fixed to introduce the baby to nature. It makes them happy. ‘My 20-month-old twin girls, whenever they get a chance to get out of the house and see the green grass, cows, goats, hens, and birds, express their happiness through their activities. I like to see them at that moment as a parent. There is only one problem, I am unable to manage them outside by myself. Sometimes, they start to run in the opposite direction. I always go outside taking them with others, either it be my husband, their grandparents, or cousins. 

Therefore, for a baby’s healthy development, parents need to take the baby outside (maybe do gardening or watering in the plant or doing something interesting).

4.Give children alternative forms of entertainment

 Acquire numerous educational children’s books (maybe ones about animals, flowers, numbers, or the alphabet) and enjoy reading aloud to them. They like this, I assure you. Your baby will focus on reading books very well if you are successful in keeping smartphones away from them. It amuses them. It’s not always easy; occasionally, they weep for no apparent reason or become obstinate. At that point, I start to dance, work out, or jump to keep them entertained. Yes, I am aware that this drains a lot of your energy. Sometimes I feel very exhausted, then I show their own picture or videos on my phone for a while, maybe five to ten minutes. After that, the three of us start doing something new.

5.Establish a strong policy for other members

 I’ve noticed that whenever my babies cry, other members tend to soothe them with cartoons from their smartphones. This is a difficult rule to enforce. When the infant gets cranky, this provides them an excuse to beg to watch something on your phones. If possible, tell every family member to cooperate with your way of raising.

6.Give sincere attention when they move around others

When you give your baby to your neighbors for a while or your relatives who visit your home, please watch out for their interactions with your children or infants. Nowadays, people are so obsessed with their phones that when they put my babies near them, they literally watch phones with my babies. Of course, my babies don’t scream or annoy them when they act in this way.

Everyone uses their phones for amusement and comfort, regardless of age. So, I always show my concern in front of everyone that I am not doing such a thing to my babies.

Lessons Learned: Reflecting on a Challenging Experience

A short incident I’ll share with you- A few days ago, my father took my babies outside. Then suddenly, our neighbors came with her two kids (one is 2 years and another is 7 years) to my babies and asked my father to take my babies to their home so that they could play together. A few minutes later, I go there and see that the two kids are watching phones with my babies, and one phone is in the hand of my baby. ‘This was a shocking moment for me. It didn’t work out the way I had hoped—at least they would play together and my babies would love it.

What happened to my babies when I applied those rules

I can feed my babies without the need of a smartphone. They savor their food. They may refuse food on occasion. I did not coerce. I eventually tried feeding them. My babies exhibit the same inclination toward our mobile device as do babies who are drawn to new items that are forbidden to them. Whenever they get in touch with our mobile, we take back our phones immediately. And of course, pleasantly, they didn’t scream or show stubbornness to take that phones. I can understand that when they act stubbornly, it’s because they’re hungry or they need to sleep. They take pleasure in engaging in physical activities, they are happy to socialize, they enjoy reading books with me, and express their joy when I give them a “wow” for identifying the names of fish, birds, or animals. They obviously enjoy playing with me the most. 

You may lessen your child’s reliance on smartphones and encourage them to form healthy habits by regularly putting these strategies into practice. Although it takes time and dedication, the results are worthwhile in the long run. I am aware that raising twins is challenging, but I succeeded. Therefore, as you determine what positive traits to instill in your children, you as a parent should give them your full attention.