According to Statista, a 2019 SellCell Survey highlights that 16.1% of the children in the United States use the phone for the first time between three and four years old, while 12.2% accessed the phone before turning three.
There are many challenges that parents face in the digital world. Unfortunately, it’s hard to look for advice as new time has brought new difficulties in life.
Read on for more information.
Limited Screen Time Is A Challenge
An average American is looking at the screen 7 hours a day. When you are a parent working from home and have no house help, it’s hard to keep the kids busy. So, you run towards the smart devices for rescue.
It’s easier to keep a child busy with the phone so that you can do your work, whether it’s office work, business, or house chores. Mobile phones are becoming an essential life component, and next time you visit restaurants, you can observe kids being busy with their smart devices. However, it’s a challenge to limit screen time.
Online Education Is Getting Common
Even if you decide to limit screen time for kids, online education is gaining popularity. Some tutors can help your kids achieve good grades in school.
Schools offer classes online, and it’s hard to limit screen time when children consume informative content. Even though it’s about education, kids still use the screen and get used to it.
Kids Want to Play Online
There is peer pressure for kids if they are not following their friends and playing games online.
55% of kids in the USA aged 9-12 have played Roblox in a week. There are 1 billion plays for 24 games.
Now that’s something to think about! It’s a challenge to say no to your kid who wants to play Roblox, Minecraft, Among Us and other games.
Parents Use Social Media
4.62 billion people around the world use social media. You could be one of them! It’s hard to set an example for the kids when you can’t control your behavior.
When you want to limit the screen time for the kids or advise them against using social media, you don’t have a say as you would be using it all the time.
How to stop kids from doing something when you do it yourself? Now that’s a considerable challenge, and it’s hard to find a solution unless you are being practical and setting standards for your kids.
Using Parenting Control Apps Is Tough
Another thing that many kids try doing is that they spy on their children. When kids get to know about it, the relationship between a parent and a child gets bitter. If you don’t share a healthy relationship with your child, there is no point in spying as they won’t trust you.
If you have a strong bond with the kids and want to set up a parenting control app on the phone, the kids may raise some eyebrows. It’s tricky, and you need to find a balance.
Possible Solutions
It’s easy to talk about problems but hard to find a solution. So, here is what you can try:
- Build a strong relationship with your child from an early age. It’s hard, but you need to take time out for priorities in life, and your kids are number one.
- Ask a counselor or a therapist to guide you. These people have the expertise and ideas that you can use. It’s best to ask for help when you have no clue.
- Take things slowly! Think about one issue at a time. Piece by piece, you will be able to solve the problems at hand. Involve your spouse in parenting. You don’t have to do everything all by yourself.
- Talk to your kid’s teacher and friends. Try finding out about their behavior outside the home. If there is an issue because of the virtual world, you have to sit down and plan what to do about it.
Unfortunately, the digital world is already making it hard to spend time with each other! So be kind to your kids and find time to make memories. It’s the little moments in life that count the most.
Wrapping It Up
Life itself goes through ups and downs. On top of that, you add the challenge of parenting. The digital world is a cherry on the top, making it even harder for you to keep kids safe and protected. You can try different ways of parenting, but at every step of life, try being kind to your precious beings. It’s the most viable solution!