Youth will have more time to breathe and explore their interests beyond school, but so often downtime becomes screen time. Summer’s wide open time spans can heighten battles over technology use. This is the perfect time to revisit your family rules and see what’s working and what’s not and come up with summer guidelines. So often parents ask me how to put in rules after having gotten very lax about them. Summer is a great time to think about a reset.
Youth will have more time to breathe and explore their interests beyond school, but so often downtime becomes screen time. Summer’s wide open time spans can heighten battles over technology use. This is the perfect time to revisit your family rules and see what’s working and what’s not and come up with summer guidelines.
Before you start, consider using the practices “procedural justice.” Many studies have shown that even if people don’t get their way, as long as they feel respected and that they had some say in the matter, i.e. if there was procedural justice, people are much more likely to go along with rules. It is natural for kids and teens to push back against limits. That’s the normal behavior of an evolving individual. Just remember to start from a place of positivity. You want to convey to them that you really understand why they like tech time so much and that is why we need strategies to keep tech activities in balance.
Screenagers has many tips and ideas on how to implement a fresh start. CLICK HERE TO RESET!
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Author: Mile High Mamas
