Are electronics a chronic problem in your household? It seems these days that it's probably THE most annoying issue parents deal with day after day. Here are a few stories from parents who used some L&L techniques to help get electronics in line. Enjoy!
Car Distraction and Boredom
As soon as I started driving, my daughter started saying "I'm bored," which means "I want to watch a DVD in the car." She kept repeating the phrase so I went brain dead and replied, "I know." After about three exchanges, she replied, "Why are you saying that?" I just said "I know" again and she didn't mention dvd again for the rest of the ride. Ha!
Phone Causes "A Problem"
My son likes to play video games on my phone. He asked if he could use my phone in the car and I replied yes as long as it did not cause a problem. Well, he was asked to give the phone back and he kept saying: "In just a minute". I told him it was a problem and there would be consequences later, which he ignored. I decided to delete all his apps from my phone. I told him later and I was surprised to see that he did not throw a verbal fit. Hmmm.
Both parents got some amazing results! Good for them! How are you doing? Here are a few more helpful hints:
BRAIN DEAD - use this when your kids are whining for more electronic time. They can be sad and even mad but it doesn't mean you should give in. Stay strong give a dose of EMPATHY and/or go brain dead!
SET LIMITS - define when and how your kids can use electronics then STICK WITH IT. The most important part is that there are some well communicated limits and there are consequences when those broken limits "cause a problem". Using ELECTRONICS CONTRACTS can super helpful especially as your kids grow and start having their own devices. My recommendation is to start using them early so they are used to a contract when they reach middle and high school when things can get really out of control.
Here's a link to a fun cell phone contract on my website you could edit: Cell Phone Contract
However, you should make sure to add consequences to your contract so that everyone knows what happens where there's "a problem".
Car Distraction and Boredom
As soon as I started driving, my daughter started saying "I'm bored," which means "I want to watch a DVD in the car." She kept repeating the phrase so I went brain dead and replied, "I know." After about three exchanges, she replied, "Why are you saying that?" I just said "I know" again and she didn't mention dvd again for the rest of the ride. Ha!
Phone Causes "A Problem"
My son likes to play video games on my phone. He asked if he could use my phone in the car and I replied yes as long as it did not cause a problem. Well, he was asked to give the phone back and he kept saying: "In just a minute". I told him it was a problem and there would be consequences later, which he ignored. I decided to delete all his apps from my phone. I told him later and I was surprised to see that he did not throw a verbal fit. Hmmm.
Both parents got some amazing results! Good for them! How are you doing? Here are a few more helpful hints:
BRAIN DEAD - use this when your kids are whining for more electronic time. They can be sad and even mad but it doesn't mean you should give in. Stay strong give a dose of EMPATHY and/or go brain dead!
SET LIMITS - define when and how your kids can use electronics then STICK WITH IT. The most important part is that there are some well communicated limits and there are consequences when those broken limits "cause a problem". Using ELECTRONICS CONTRACTS can super helpful especially as your kids grow and start having their own devices. My recommendation is to start using them early so they are used to a contract when they reach middle and high school when things can get really out of control.
Here's a link to a fun cell phone contract on my website you could edit: Cell Phone Contract
However, you should make sure to add consequences to your contract so that everyone knows what happens where there's "a problem".