Ways To Stop Yourself From Distracted Parenting
There are days that we are so occupied by other things but, distracted parenting isn’t good in the long run!
As parents — especially for some of us who are working or running our own businesses — we’re always distracted by all sorts of worries and thoughts. Although technology has made it easier with a click of a button through the phone, sometimes, the adrenaline of accomplishing or ticking things off our checklist can further elate and distract us. The “down times” we think we have during family dinners is the perfect time to “deal” with it. But we’re sacrificing time with our kids to clean up our to-do list which, admittedly, there are times we have to!
However, there are times wherein we need to break the habit as a distracted parent! Here’s how we can do it!
1. Don’t bring a power bank!
Because smartphones often run a lot of background processes and apps, the battery drains faster. But by leaving the power bank at home, we become more mindful of how we use our phones to conserve power. It’ll also stop us from using Cocomelon or baby shows to engage them.
2. Set a timer on your online chats to mute after work hours
Some chat apps have settings wherein you can schedule when to mute it so that there’s a clear boundary between work and life balance. Although some notifications from our bosses or colleagues can send us into a panic, a quick drop of the phone (onto the bed) can remind us that now is not the time to work. It’s time to be a mom.
3. Uninstall the apps that you know will take a lot of your time
TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Reels unfortunately are the number one apps that eat up most of our time. Because the content can be so engaging, we tend to forget that the few seconds spent watching one reel can eventually pile up into hours. We suggest uninstalling the app the moment we’re done using it so we’re not tempted to go back to it.
4. Buy more books
Buying more books doesn’t just teach the kids; it creates more opportunities to bond and learn. When we read to our children, they are more encouraged to talk. Their imagination also grows and makes them more engaging as a conversationalist. Which, let’s be honest, is what we crave and why we become distracted parents with the cellphone: we’re looking for substantial conversation which we feel can only come from people our age.
5. If we really need time to work, squeeze in thirty minutes of playtime when you can
When there’s just something urgent to work on, it’s okay to squeeze in thirty minutes of playtime to decompress. If work becomes too much then, playtime with our kids is a breath of fresh air and may even offer a new perspective. Because kids don’t perceive certain worries, they focus more on the things they sense which is what we usually just need to solve the problem.
6. Unplug the TV or any gadget that we normally indulge in
Plugging something back in again can sometimes feel like a hassle which makes us less prone to using the gadget. What tempts us to use the gadget is how easy it is to operate. Once we add extra steps to activating a certain gadget, we won’t use it as much.
Only certain things should distract a parent.
Although work is a reasonable excuse to become a distracted parent, scrolling through reels for the next five hours isn’t! However, that means that content creators are doing their job: they’re creating a story that we become so invested in that we miss out on our stories with our kids! Besides, we don’t want our kids thinking that we love our phones more than them. To them, the more we interact with something, the more we love it.
More about parenting?
John Lloyd Cruz Gives Insights on Co-Parenting and Being a Dad
Stephanie Zubiri: Soulful Parenting
Luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola: Parenting in Full Bloom
