There are so many considerations to make when you’re trying to keep your children occupied. With the temptations found on apps, tablets and smartphones, it’s pretty easy for your children to spend hours on their phones. This is actually terrible for their overall development. As a concerned parent, consider these four ways you can help your kids stay off their phones this coming fall.
Encourage outdoor chores
If your children are able to pick up a phone and find their favorite digital show, they can pick up a rake and help you clean up the leaves. If possible, it’s really nice to give an incentive for those outdoor chores. As a part of the family, it’s also important for your children to contribute assistance and learn responsibility. This will help them prepare for the future.
Go hiking or fishing as a family
The fall is a lovely season because you don’t have the high temperatures of the summer, but it’s not too cold to enjoy a day on the lake. A fishing trip is a fun family pastime to cultivate. Find fishing charters that you all can enjoy and experience as a family. Physical exercise is also great to enjoy in the outdoors through hiking trips. By the time the kids are finished hiking, they’ll be too tired to pick up their phones.
Carve pumpkins
Pumpkins are such iconic symbols of the fall season. The fall is the perfect time to teach your children how to carve pumpkins. Allow them to pick up the designs they’d like to carve out. Even before Halloween kicks in, your kids may enjoy picking up a pumpkin from the store for decoration, for pie-making, and even just to practice carving. Even if it only distracts them for a few hours in a single day, the experience is great for building a relationship with your children and encouraging them to dig in with their hands on a project.
Develop hobbies
You get to set the tone of your home. As you set the tone and pace, take note of the interests your children have outside of their phones. If you notice that one child seems to really love painting and another one loves robotics, create a quiet hour. During that hour, each child goes to their own corner to work on their creative process and the hobby that they love. Give your children room to change their minds and cultivate different hobbies at different times. This will help them explore what they’re potentially great at.
As you implement these habits to help your kids live and experience life away from their phones, it’s best to be persistent. When you’re creating a new habit, you’re going to get some resistance from your children. Stand strong because it’s for their good.
