Putting the Phone Down

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A little over a month ago I uninstalled all of the games on my phone. I have tried this on several occasions and inevitably would reinstall them. But I haven’t! Yay! And I’m pretty proud of myself for the last month.

And there were some tough days where I very nearly downloaded a game or two again. Sitting in the doctors’ waiting rooms or car repair shop lobbies, I would have loved to play some games!

But I don’t want the phone to take priority over my treasures!

How To Put Your Phone Down

I’ve tried breaking my games and phone habits before, with no success. These things helped me make it happen!

Be Aware of your Phone Use

Conveniently, my iPhone has let me know the change in my screen time, and while total time has gone down significantly, I have definitely spent a bit more time on social media and things instead of games. My family hasn’t seen all of the leftover time from cutting the games out.

And I’ve spent A LOT more time on Pinterest…which is both good and bad. Good because my son and I have done some fun projects together because of it; bad because my monetary budget often suffers from all my project ideas!

Set Up a Charging Station

One step I’ve taken is to set up a couple of charging stations around the house. Close enough I can still play podcasts or listen to music. Or even hear the phone ring! But not with me at all times.

Distract Yourself

When I take something away from my kids that I don’t want them to play with, I try to give them something else to replace it to avoid any tantrums. So I’ve tried to replace my phone time with other fun and worthy efforts. Like trying out a new recipe, painting pictures with the kids, or reading an actual book!

Be in the Present

Many times my phone was taking me away from the moment. Instead of spending time on my phone, I’m actually paying attention to the conversations I’m a part of, or are going on around me. My experiences are richer because I’m all in.

The Results are Worth It

Most importantly, however, I have made improvements in my time with my kids. I really don’t want to be that parent who never sets their phone down. I hope my kids never think my phone is more important than they are.

Tonight, I was putting my oldest down for bed and realized my phone was in the other room. And I was okay with that. In fact, I was pretty proud of that. I nursed the baby and watched my older son as he settled down to sleep. He’s a terrible sleeper, and I’m sure I’ve made every mistake in the book trying to teach him to sleep. At this point, I’m thrilled he’s sleeping in his own room, in his own bed, and goes down without any tears…generally! He has to have his milk and two things to play with (not necessarily toys; tonight it was a bracelet and a Little People figurine). He needs me to come in for at least a short time, though I can usually slip out.

And this evening, without my phone, I watched his process and couldn’t help but smile as I watched his cat-like habit of circling around and around to get comfortable, sipping his milk, etc. He has one of those enormous stuffed bears and I loved when he pulled the bear close to snuggle goodnight. He wanted the baby to lay down by him. I acquiesced, carefully, and he just kissed the baby’s head over and over telling him goodnight. It warmed my heart to see them together. And I could have missed it all, had my phone been there distracting me.

Putting the phone down is hard until you’re seeing the benefits of the sacrifice.