For parents, spending the spending the summer on tablets can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. It is a blessing because the kids may learn so many things from the internet and the television. On the other, it is a curse because the kids may end up spending a lot of time on those gadgets and forget other vital things in their lives like doing their homework. Apparently, the gadgets can easily turn your children into zombies. If you are determined to keep your children away from the gadgets, the following tips may be of great importance to you.
Tell stories to your children
Have some time with your children and share with them about your childhood stories. Tell them about the places you liked visiting when you were young. Then, help them find their own stories. They will definitely appreciate your presence as a parent. Apart from storytelling, you can teach your children origami. Show them how different papers are folded and when it comes to learning to make paper snowflakes, they will surely love it.
Encourage your kids to go camping
Camping is vital for the kids because they will have time to connect with nature. Buy them a tent or help them make a canvas tepee and leave it up all summer. This will provide them with a healthy alternative to spending their leisure time.
Engage grandparents
Apparently, grandparents usually have the more free time or are more flexible than the parents. They also relate to when playing outside was considered normal and expected of children. They will gladly pass that heritage to their grandkids.
Take a hike
Walking together with your children to the woods is vital for bonding with your children. It is more fun when walking at night when the moon is full. At night, there are a whole set of new animals, sounds and sights. Encourage your children to listen to those new sounds. Also, don’t forget to look up at the starts. That will be a whole lot of fun.
Establish rules
Restrict the use of electronics during meals, before bedtime and during homework. Other than just establishing the rules, let other know the rules including the caregivers, grandparents and neighbors. When the rules are known to everyone, it will be easy for you to monitor their usage.
Discuss the consequences with your kids
It is important for you to discuss the consequences when your kid won’t just give it up. For little children, you can threaten to take the tablet for the whole day if they don’t stop using it. For older kids, encourage them to keep the device in public space, set expectations and implement them.
Take electronic vacations
Even if the vacation may be short, make an effort of taking this vacation. In this case, everyone unplugs and disconnect. You can decide to take a contest and see who can disconnect for a longest. You should also give a prize to the winner.
Final words
At first, it may be challenging to quit the habit of using the electronic because it is much addictive. Therefore, discipline is much required in order to deal with this problem. Since you want your children to be productive in the society, instill discipline in them for a brighter future.