4: Tech-Free Spaces

Dear Anne: I feel like I am constantly at odds with my kids and tech. It is a constant struggle to bring the family together for meals or conversations and not have pings, screens, and vibrations interrupting our space. There must be a way to use tech without it taking control of our home—ideas? The Tech Sheriff

Dear Tech Sheriff: With four kids ages 8-15 currently under COVID restrictions, I am right there with you. So much so that we featured this topic on our last monthly webinar as well as hosting two podcasts by Amy and Andy Crouch (authors who are a father/daughter combo) on raising kids to be tech-wise—be sure to check out the podcasts. In the meantime, a couple starter points. First, I encourage you to define spaces in your home where tech is off-limits—easiest of which is the kitchen table, and next up might be bedrooms. Countless parents have praised the positive responses in their teens and overall family connectivity when screens were kept in public spaces—not only providing more accountability but becoming a place to draw together. Second, look for ways to connect intentionally both with and beyond tech; pick a show or series you can all share simultaneously, as well as finding a new hobby you can explore that doesn’t require a screen. Remember, screens are here to serve us—not the other way around. If it starts to feel like screens are taking control, look for new ways to put them in their place.