Phew! We all know how tough it is to separate teenage kids from their electronics du jour, whether it’s their phone, tablet, or gaming devices. This becomes tougher when we are on a vacation.
Every parent probably wants to yank those gadgets and chuck them in the trash bins. That won’t be helping your teens to take a look at the beautiful surroundings, appreciate it and make their trips delightful. However, there are some ways, which can compel your teens to drop their phones and connect with nature.
1. Trying the old method of ‘Go Cold Turkey’
This is a plan for those who are not faint of heart. It will make sure that your kids remain device free. This plan will compel them to leave their phones, playing consoles at home while you are on a vacation, where reception is nonexistent. And for that, you can be on a camping trip on your next vacation or choose overseas travel where cellular service would be pricey and inconsistent.
Rather than nagging, you can suggest the best replacement activity to your teens instead of having their eyes glued to the screens. Encourage them to write about the things they see on travel. If they don’t like to write, allow them to have a camcorder or a camera to take a picture or make movies, which they can later upload to their favorite social channels.
2. Fix the screen hours and be strict to its implementation
This is one of the palatable options for the families with teens who are electronic addicts. Before you set out for your holidays make a rule that your teens will have fixed hours to spend on their devices. You set two hours in maximum, stating that your family is one vacation hence it is better to cherish a memorable family time in the real world rather than sticking to a virtual world.
You may encounter resistance from kids if they are in the habit to text or share updates with friends constantly. Here you need to show your firm parent persona and take them over. It is better to stop being punitive or entering into an endless argument loop. It is best to employ empathy tactics and acknowledge your teens feel. Then you can state your preferences and wait for a moment for a surprising answer from your kid’s end.
3. Ask for their inputs/suggestions
If you feel that your teen has started to become mature and appears to do the most astonishing thing that you have never expected, you can step a little forward and ask for his or her suggestions while vacationing. Chances are, for these new age teens to share some real creative ideas but definitely with the help of their devices. Who knows, this might compel them to get more involved in the family vacation than you have ever thought.
Give some time to yourself and plan in advance to implement the device-free or nearly device-free vacations. When your kids find that you are happy and interested in being there, they are sure to follow your lead.
—
via Pavan Rajput
Pavan Rajput is a traveler and writer. He loves to travel to various places. He currently visited Chikmagalur resorts which is excellent place to stay with lots of facilities.
[Image via www.telegraph.co.uk]
