Screens have become a huge part of our lives and kids are no different.
Most kids love watching things on the TV, tablet or their parents’ phones.
But one mum says that imposing a total screen ban on her kids has transformed their family.
Blogger Molly DeFrank, from California, said that she used to let her kids use screens just one hour a day.
But when she was met at the door by her youngest child asking to play on her phone, Molly and her husband decided to take action.
She says they told their four children at dinner time that screens were banned, which initially led to tears but soon the children moved on.
On her blog, she said: ‘What started as a thirty-day screen detox has become a lifestyle overhaul in our home of five children under the age of ten.
‘Quitting was shockingly easy, surprisingly sustainable, and my nine-year-old daughter has told me on several occasions that she’s glad we’ve cut them out.’
Molly says that her children started reading more and being more creative.
The turning point came a few weekends into the detox when they saw their parents reading in bed and decided to join in.
Now they bring books to restaurants instead of iPads and their daughter had grown five reading levels in seven months.
She added: ‘I watched my kids go from screen-dependent to cooperatively playing, creating and even making their own “school.” I couldn’t believe how easy it was.’
Although Molly said she understood why some parents use technology but it’s about having a balance.
She said: ‘Certainly, technology can be useful in its right place…but after a quick assessment of my babies’ behavior, I knew we needed a technology overhaul.’
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