5 Ways To Spend Less Time On your Phone and More Time with Your Kids

If the title grabbed your attention and you are reading this, then take a look at these statistics, which should interest you even more.

According to this ABC News Special, on average most people log into their phone 80 times a day. 80. On average, people spend 49 days a year on their phone. 49. Let those statistics set in for a minute…. Below are 5 ways you can spend less time on your phone and more time with your kids.

1. Set Aside Certain Times in the Day to Be on Your Phone

This is the first way you can spend less time on your phone and more time with your kids. I think that we can all agree that mom life is a busy life. I think we can also agree that no matter the age of our child, we are all forced to be on some sort of a schedule or another. With that said, it shouldn’t be too difficult to stick to your schedule and only access your phone for screen time usage at set times throughout the day. In other words, make this part of your schedule.

I am usually running around all day, but during the hours of 1-3, my kids are napping. That is my “me” time to do whatever it is that I want to do, which includes browsing on my phone.

I implement strict hours for electronics with my children and had no problem setting aside an hour or two every day at the same time when they are allowed to be on their computers. It shouldn’t be difficult to also set aside said hours to browse on my phone, right?

Now, when I refer to browsing your phone, I am only referring to pleasure searching on your phone, not when you are forced to be on your phone for work. After all, we are supposed to be role models, right?

If we are creating a schedule to limit screen time with our kids, why would we not do the same for ourselves? Set an example to our kids and show them you are doing the same.

2. Monitor How Many Times a Day You Log into Your Phone and Try to Set a Goal.

This is another trick that will help you spend less time on your phone and more time with your kids. You can do this the old fashion way and actually tally how many times you log into your phone, or just download an app called Checky. This app will actually count the amount of times a day you log into your phone.

Warning, this will be eye opening for some. Once you figure out how many times a day you are logging into your phone, try to set goals and work in small increments lowering the amount of time you log into your phone. Beating that number will be far more rewarding than browsing your phone and it will have far more positive benefits.

Also, Iphones actually automatically do this for you, so pay close attention, and try to be cognizant of the amount of time you are spending on your phone.

3. Stop Signing Yourself up for Games on Your Phone

This will free up time so that you can spend less time on your phone and more time with your kids. There are so many games that trend on cell phones and it becomes so easy to see what all the hype is about. You fill out a couple of questions, and boom, you are set up to play. Games are a very easy way to get addicted to your phone. Before you know it, your life revolves around beating your last score, keeping up with Facebook, finding out the latest on Instagram, checking emails, and browsing the internet for random things.

I can venture to guess you are on your phone more hours a day than you will ever think. It makes me laugh when people say, “I have no time to work out in my day”. One of the first things I want to ask them is, how many hours do you think you are on your phone in a day? It’s all about prioritizing and I promise, if you only look at your social media a couple times a day, you will not have FOMO. You will be just fine.

Do you ever spend a lot of time on your phone and then sit back and say, “what did I accomplish?” “What did I learn?” “Was it worth my time?”

4. Reward Yourself with Phone Time

It’s just like that glass of wine or favorite cocktail. When you have been pregnant for 9 months, that first glass of wine is like gold. When you have a glass of wine every night, it loses its excitement. Do not pick up your phone every spare second you get. Only pick up your phone during your scheduled times and I promise, it will be much more rewarding for you.

5. If You Are on the Phone and Your Child “Interrupts” you, Immediately Stop and Put Your Phone Down

Okay, so yes, I purposely put “interrupts” in quotes, because I know it always seems like your kids are “bothering” or “interrupting” you. If you were an outsider looking in, I bet he/she would disagree that the child is actually bothering you. Kids are needy. Yes, that is normal. Yes, your job is to take care of them. PERIOD.

Now, I am not writing this blog to judge moms that do this. When reflecting on my days, I always find that my most frustrating days are the days when I need to get something important done and my kids just don’t allow me the time to do it. Or I get it done but not without yelling a lot.

I also look back and realize that there were multiple times in the day where I was not done scrolling through the latest Facebook feeds. Maybe I didn’t see the check mark that says “You’re All Caught Up” on Instagram. When I look back at the end of the day, I realize how trivial it was and how much more important my kids are. When I give them my undivided attention, is when they behave the best.

To Summarize

By following these rules for limiting screen usage I think you will actually feel a weight off your shoulders. You should have more hours in your day and you will feel that your time during the day was better spent attending to your kid’s needs. If you need to be on your phone for work and these options just don’t cut it, try to track how many hours you “need” to be on the phone vs. “want” to be on your phone. This can also include simply checking your emails. How many times a day do you really need to be checking emails?

Set a good example for your kids and limit your screen time. We are all adjusting in this world of 24/7 technology, but balance is key. Being cognizant of your kids needs while you are browsing your phone are two things to really keep in mind.

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