Engaging in Simple Household Chores Can Teach Children Vital Life Skills

The digital world is much more different than the real-time world in front of us. When it comes to parenting, we all must have been in scenarios, where our kids are too much indulged into phones and spending more time with it than they actually do with the friends and family. The fact is that smartphones have created an illusionary world, in which children are easily carried away.

That is why we, at JP International School, positioned among the Top Ranking Schools in Greater Noida, believe that it is important for all the parents to know, practice, and educate their children with healthy smartphone behavior. It is vital to ensure that children grow up with the awareness of the harms that overuse of smartphones might bring.

We have seen how smartphones can make you feel connected with the world, and still make you feel out of your element. And this is particularly harmful for children.Unhealthy smartphone habits not only interfere with the sleeping patterns of childrenbut also make them suffer from various mental and physical health issues. If children stay engaged with smartphones for a longer period of time, it can even push them into depression and cause other related social-behavioral problems as well.

Here, in this article below, we have brought forth for you a few effective ways you can help your children practice healthy smartphone behavior and use it wisely.

Create no-phone zones at home

Creating a no-phone zone can be a very healthy practice. Children should learn to keep their phones away while having food, driving, during bed-time, family time, and so on. These rules can be discussed, followed, and agreed upon by all family members, including the children. We all know that children knowingly or unknowingly internalize our practices. So, it is important that you become a role model for them and cut yourselves off from your phone, as and when needed. Spend time with the real, non-digital world in front of them. This way, children will start following it. However, if they do not comply, you will have to talk to them about the harms of using smartphones extensively and encourage them to start practicing no-phone zones at home and outdoors.

Indulge in more of family time

Children must learn to avoid using a smartphone around family and friends as it is less respectful and can affect their social behavior and communication skills. This is why reducing the use of smartphones during family and friends time is essential. Once in a while, invite other kids and family members to home, so that children can interact and play with them in person instead of connecting with them on a video call or in a WhatsApp group.

Make them aware of the smartphone safety rules

Teaching children to practice necessary smartphone safety rules is important. Children are mostly playful and ignorant about their social media presence, which thereby increases their exposure to online risks. It is thus best to keep track of the kind of content children are being exposed to. Keep checking their mobile safety settings such as their location sharing, profane content viewing, and account passwords.

Depending on their age, talk to the children about what kind of risks they are exposed to on the internet, and how their data can be compromised if they stay ignorant online. Educate them on connecting only with known family members and friends, and what can happen if not. As teenagers can sometimes be stubborn and also vulnerable, it’s best if they know both sides of the coin they are playing with.

We, at JP International School, understand that smartphones are indeed necessary to keep the world connected. However, there is a growing need for the children to understand that things can go the wrong way if they do not adopt the healthy smartphone usage behavior. The need is to educate them properly so that they know the dos and don’ts well. This is why even though we are conducting online classes amid the pandemic, we felt it is necessary to encourage parents to set appropriate rules and safety precautions so that children can use smartphones and other gadgets in a productive way and be aware of its risks.

- JP International School