It can be tricky to navigate living in a world of screens, media, attention, pressures, etc…. or NOISE, as I call it!
Over and over in my life, I have learned how challenging it can be to find a healthy balance with devices. As a teen, I was one of the first of my friends to get a phone with social media. They would get irritated with me because I spent way too much time looking down at my phone, and not looking up at them. I quickly learned the importance of finding balance with screens across the board. That’s why this was an important topic for me to include as part of my ‘Ohana Mother & Daughter Experience Live Events for 11-17 year old girls and their moms.
Now that I’m married and have children of my own, my husband Adam and I have made it a priority for our marriage, and with our sons, to live presently. We make adjustments as needed to the various chapters of our lives that require more work via the phone; and times where we have just found ourselves using them more.
Making the necessary adjustments has hands down been one of the best decisions we have made as a family. I want my boys to grow up knowing I engaged with them, more than with my devices. I know it’s not easy, and we are not perfect, but- it’s worth it to ask yourself some tough questions and hone in on the beauty of living with presence vs. distraction.
During one ‘Ohana Live Event, we had an expert guest on this topic of screens, author and speaker, Jonathan McKee. Jonathan has written over 35 books that provide guidance on how to parent kids with screens, OR guide yourself in being “screen wise”, like these:
“The Teen’s Guide to Face-to-Face Connections in a Screen-to-Screen World: 40 Tips to Meaningful Communication”
and
“Parenting Generation Screen: Guiding Your Kids to Be Wise in a Digital World”
His presentation about teens, tweens, screens and self-esteem was very eye opening for the moms and daughters at my event! I really appreciated his encouragement to find balance with technology and to have healthy dialogues as a family.
Jonathan shared that there are three really important conversations to have with your kids when, or before, they get their own device:
3 Essential Conversations Most Kids Haven’t Had:
1- The Posts you’re posting
2- The Friends you’re friending
3- The Screen Time you’re soaking in
Such a good tip. Even if you’re not a parent, it’s good to self evaluate these 3 areas of your time on screens. This is something we ALL can get better at. This isn’t just about children, it’s a message for each of us! 🙂
A few more thoughts and encouragement from me:
I am cheering you on to be present SO you can have more peace, joy and meaningful relationships in your life.
To learn more about the ‘Ohana Mother Daughter Experience, click here.
Check out Jonathan’s Talks and Resources on Becoming Screen Wise.
Much love!
