Tips for Parents of Kids That Are Addicted to Tablets
Today, there is a new problem for parents: Children are addicted to tablets. It’s very common for our little ones to replace classic board games and even traditional toys with electronic devices capable of meeting all their whims, which are also the cause of endless periods of distraction.
Not surprisingly, Santa Claus is filled with electronic requests every year, and the affection children feel toward electronic toys grows more and more. And as a result, cell phones, video games, and tablets are the cause of an increase in addictions among children.
Therefore, it’s important to note that such devices can produce a new problem at home, which leads to an additional challenge for parents of the present and the future.
For example, we can reach a point where children only want to surf the net, and sleeping and other activities begin to take a backseat to these electronic devices. Many children even neglect their studies.
Therefore, parents must be attentive to the signs that their children may be addicted to tablets.
Signs of possible tablet addiction
- Deception: One of the main symptoms of addiction to this device is children being dishonest. To be more specific, when children suspect that their parents aren0t paying attention, they take advantage of the opportunity to use their tablets secretly.
- Withdrawal symptoms: Once parents limit the use of these items, their children begin to reflect great anxiety and even depression about it.
- Demotivation: This happens when children used to be interested in other recreational activities, and suddenly, they only devote their full interest to electronic equipment.
- Certain consequences: Generally, as a consequence of such addiction, children may face low performance at school as well as a lack of interest in establishing new interpersonal relationships or strengthening existing ones.
It’s important to note that sometimes children can reflect certain negative attitudes, all depending on their age.
However, this isn’t a sign of addiction. That’s why we recommend carefully monitoring their attitudes to be able to accurately determine such a diagnosis.
But what can you do if children are addicted to tablets? All is not lost, and here are some simple tips to cope with this situation:
Tips for parents of children addicted that are addicted to tablets
- Set limits. It’s important that parents define when and for how long the children will use electronic devices, as this could be a way to exercise control.
Also, it’s best to indicate a place for their use so that they can be monitored. This way, you can see how much they browse and demand that they respect the established time.
- Avoid giving the full rights of the tablets to your children. It’s not a good idea for children to be the total owners of these devices because, if they are, they’ll believe that they have complete control of them. So, if parents lose authority over this, it could be more difficult to clarify the rules.
- Limit their use progressively. When it comes to addiction, you need to gradually eliminate the use of tablets, making children get used to their absence and getting used to the idea that it’s time to reduce the time they spend using this type of device.
- Help them replace the tablet with another object or activity. It would be appropriate for parents to help their children seek alternatives to electronic games.
- Set a good example. There’s no use reprimanding children or worrying about perceiving signs of addiction to tablets if parents are walking the same path. That’s why we recommend that parents also limit their use so that their children can see them as appropriate examples to follow. Remember: Actions speak louder than words.
It’s important to note that this addiction should be taken as seriously as any other problem of similar nature. Therefore, it requires attention, because if this situation is prolonged, it can deteriorate the quality of life of children.
Therefore, it’s important to clarify that if the situation is too much for parents to handle, it’s worth seeking a little professional help.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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