Parent Magazine St. Johns September 2018 | Page 12

Designate tech-free spaces.
Silence or put away electronics
during homework and chore time
and during family-oriented
activities. Meals in particular
present a rich opportunity to
connect with your kids without
electronic distractions.
“We no longer plant vegetables
or quilt on the front porch together
Engage with technology
together.
According to researchers at
Arizona State University, gaming
together offers teachable moments
to share values and explore creative
problem solving.
“Parents miss a huge
opportunity when they walk away
from playing video games with
their kids. Many video games are
10 | S T . J O H N S
parent
so meal time is one of the few
times of the day when a family
connects with one another,” says
Dr. Anne Fishel, author of Home for
Dinner: Mixing Food, Fun and
Conversation for a Happier Family
and Healthier Kids. “If family
members are distracted by checking
their phones and other screens,
they miss out on the chance to
really focus on each other, and convey that essential message ––
‘you come first.’”
Studies find that families who
eat dinner together experience
lower rates of substance abuse,
depression and teen pregnancy.
Kids who regularly eat dinner with
their families are also more likely to
have higher self-esteem, better
grades and even stronger
vocabularies.
meant to be shared and can teach
young people about science,
literacy and problem solving,” says
researcher Elisabeth Hayes, Delbert
& Jewell Lewis Chair in Reading &
Literacy and professor in ASU’s
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
Use technology together in
other ways to strengthen
communication skills and creativity.
Invite your child to FaceTime or
Skype with grandparents. Show her how to start a private blog about
one of her favorite subjects. Take
digital photos together and
collaborate on a photo book or a
calendar.
By taking a proactive, balanced
approach to technology with
boundaries firmly in place, you can
focus on using technology to
complement rather than control
your life while growing closer and
happier as a family.
MAGAZINE