Being accessible:to what extent is that a priority for you? And the next question:should our children be just as accessible as their mom and dad? Rather not, I am inclined to say. Okay, if they go to high school and often have to travel a little further, it's a safe idea that they can reach their parents. But those bastards don't only use their phones when they need is. Just like us, by the way. Have you ever actually kept track of how much you're sitting on that thing right now? And the smartphone at school is probably not conducive to concentration…
You give your child a phone to be reachable. And above all, to be able to call their parents in case of emergency. But that's probably not the same reason your kid had in mind . Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and so on. Nowadays, our kids are often more active on social media than we are, and they also know their way around. Unfortunately, they do not always know the dangers and costs that internet use can entail. So no child's play, that internet. Make good agreements with your child and explain to them that the worldwide web also has dangers. Want to read more about kids and cell phones, and when is it really time to get them one? That is possible in this article about children and a mobile phone, in which Joyce tells how (and when!) her kids got their smartphone.
If you set rules (and you stick to them yourself), the smartphone use of your children at home can hopefully still be managed properly. But what about when they close the front door behind them? A smartphone at school seems to me to be quite a distracting factor. Fortunately, a little teacher is of course on top of this. Nevertheless, a smartphone at school is often useful and not just a distraction, since children in many secondary schools really need their phone. And no, not to get through that boring math class.
For example, many schools use the Magister system. Children can see their schedule and all current figures on this. But you as a parent can also use it. For example, you will receive a notification when your son or daughter is not present, and you can also view points. Handy, but an extra reason for your children to always have that device in your pocket. And that also applies to their access to a world full of distractions. Fortunately, they have come up with something in Norway to reduce the use of smartphones at school.
In Norway they have now come up with something to motivate children to spend less time with their phones. At school, but also at home. For example, if there is actually a whole mountain of study work waiting. It seems a bit hypocritical, but the idea is wonderful:use your smartphone less, thanks to an app on your smartphone 😉 .
With the HOLD app, which is unfortunately not yet available in the Netherlands, not using your phone becomes very tempting. You earn a point for every 20 minutes that you don't touch the thing. And you can eventually exchange them for all kinds of rewards, just at the Norwegian supermarket on the corner. A few hours of not using your phone, and you have already earned a nice bottle of Coke. Good thinking from those Scandinavians! Hopefully in the near future we will also put our smartphone on HOLD in the Netherlands and not just against use at school. But until then, we'll have to convince our kids in other ways not to spend the whole day on that phone. Do you have any tips to share?
Read also :Buying a Smartphone for your child, what do you pay attention to?
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