To Get Kids Off Phones, Open the Door!
Sorry -- another rant. Or maybe it's more of a revelation. It's this:
Giving kids phones makes possible the impossible demands on parents, that they supervise, assist, drive and chaperone their kids everywhere, every day -- usually while holding down another job.
It's only because we can hand kids their electronic devices that we can get this tsunami of stuff, including cooking, commuting, cleaning and maybe even talking to our spouses once in a while, done. Thanks to phones, the kids are quiet. Without phones, we'd be at our wits' end. They buy us the time we desperately need. That's one big reason phones are so ubiquitous. And why it's so hard to take them away from our kids, even if we think we should.
BUT!!! If we gave kids back freedom to do things without adults always watching them, the whole equation changes.
We would have more free time.
We wouldn't be so frantic.
Kids wouldn't be on their phones as much.
Kids would be happier.
If it were normal again to have the kids come home and go play outside, on their own, they'd be out of our hair, interested and engaged like -- dare I say it? -- we were. They wouldn't need to be on their phones because they'd be outside, busy. Which means inside would be quiet. We could get stuff done. We also wouldn't have to drive them to so many activities, because "playing outside" is an activity. And it's local and free, so we could actually save some money.
And free play happens to be great for kids! Everyone's so worried about childhood anxiety and depression, including me. But when kids play without an adult "helping," they automatically get practice at solving problems and making life fun.
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