Children nowadays are hooked on mobile games throughout the day. Parents have a role to play in regulating the number of hours their kids spend on phones. There are many ways to wean your kids off their phones and of their electronic habits.  Here are some of them:

Tech time out               

Speak to your children and allocate a few hours every day when it will be mandatory for them to put their phones away or submit them to you. Not only will this short circuit their mobile addiction, but it will give you a golden opportunity to connect with your kids and spend quality time with them.

Practice what you preach

If you want your kids to get off of their phones, you need to get off of yours. Parents are the first role models that a child has. If parents have their eyes on a screen at all times, the children are bound to emulate this habit and will learn that non-stop checking of devices is acceptable. It is advisable for parents to put their phones or tablets down during meals or time spent together with their kids. If, however, your profession demands a lot of phone usage, do it when the kids are away or out to play.

Technology is a solution

A number of applications help parents keep a track of their child’s phone usage. the OurPactparental control app is one of them.The app includes a downloadable contract that parents and kids sign, plus guidelines about how to create a balanced use of technology. It includes an app blocker, and parental time lock.

Alert them

When your child is watching a video or playing a game, it's better to warn them in advance when it's time to put the phone away. So, to avoid the teary meltdown, let kids know their time is running short 10 minutes beforehand.

Fill their time 

For many kids, games offer a way to deal with stress, fill a gap in their social lives, or simply alleviate hours of boredom. Taking away smart devices without providing any alternatives is unlikely to work in the long run. After restricting your child’s phone usage, make sure to fill that time with other hobbies or socialactivities, such as team sportsand afterschool clubs  and try to spend more time as a family unplugged.