Why Parents Should Avoid Allowing Their Child Electronics at Dinner

The rise of technology and increase in busy schedules and lives are having a serious impact on children’s mental health and development. This is why its important parents should avoid allowing their child electronics at dinner. Children need multiple moments in a day where they receive undivided attention and love from their parents. Family mealtimes are one of the best ways to provide this to kids. 

Parents should not create a competition between themselves and electronics

Parents should not create a competition between themselves and electronics. By allowing their child electronics at dinner time, this becomes a strong possibility. Once in competition, it’s very difficult to get a hold of the situation and win back the will of your child to connect with you. This is because their mind is focused on their electronics and doing other things. Parents should set a precedent and lead by example. Teach your child about structures and healthy boundaries. Explain that there is a time and place for different activities and that mealtimes are important times to reconnect together as a family. 

You lose the opportunity to deepen your relationship by allowing your child electronics at dinner

The job of parenting becomes much easier when your child looks to you for guidance, wants to spend time with you and wants you to know about them. By allowing electronics at dinner, you lose the opportunity to deepen your relationship and this can result in the relationship weakening over time. Electronics are a distraction from emotional expression. Kids need a safe, supportive outlet to express the frustrations and anxieties that build up throughout the day. Daily opportunity to express their emotions with a supportive adult is highly important for emotional health. Make dinner time a place where kids can talk openly and freely about how they are feeling. If given the opportunity to distract themselves, they will take it. 

Kids learn social skills through doing

Kids learn social skills through doing. Allowing them to sit on electronics at a time that is meant for social interaction, reduces the amount of opportunities for socializing. Electronics are designed to be highly addicting. Children that develop an addiction to electronics generally become more isolated in time. Human beings are social animals who thrive on connection for survival. We saw the negative effects on society during COVID when people were more ostracized. People need opportunities for quality, social interaction in order to maintain their health. 

There are a lot of people who think that the use of electronics is the best thing for their family. But in reality, they can cause more harm than good. If you want to learn more about effective parenting methods, visit our webpage on parent coaching or alternatively visit our webpage on our parenting course, Raising Kids To Their Full Potential.