Is technology ruining your family? Read this….

technology ruining your family
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Are you sick of seeing your loved ones glued to screen? Do you miss the conversations and family bonding that used to exist before technology invaded your family life? Is technology ruining your family life?

If you feel the answer to any of these is yes, then I promise you – you are not alone. Although technology has helped us in so many ways, when it comes to family life – as far as I can see – we are definitely losing. In houses across the land technology is disrupting normal family life, leaving us sitting alone, together.

You know the drill already. Technology is ruining your family. It’s making children moody and lazy. 62% of parents experience conflict over screen time.

So how can you give children the tools to manage their own devices? To achieve some sort of balance in this crazy connected world? If you’ve found this because you’re dispairing about your children’s moods, the fact that they forever seem to be glued to a screen, are not focused on life and on schoolwork and their sleep appears to be suffering – then I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

Here’s the solution to technology ruining your family life….

Introducing TechDen

TechDen is the first internet connected solution which helps parents manage screen time whilst securely storing and charging phones and tablets. The beauty of TechDen is that it enables parents to manage screen time with a physical home for devices – aka The Den. Yes! That means keeping devices out of sight, and out of mind, and keeping a lid on all of those annoying distractions and notifications which are currently killing your family life.

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How is TechDen different to other solutions on the market

I hear you – yes there are seemingly a tonne of different apps out there to manage your family’s screen time. So how is TechDen different? Quite simply, because it offers the power combination of an app plus a physical place to lock and unlock devices in – all of which can be done remotely. Drastic times call for drastic measures!

The fact that your children’s devices can remain physcially unavailable during designated times really is the piece de resistance as far as I’m concerned. Sitting triumphantly alongside usage limit settings, the ability to create schedules for your young people for multiple devices and communication tools to help you manage all of the said without World War Three errupting.

When screen time is over, devices are simply stored, charged and locked in The Den. End of. If a child tries to access a device during unscheduled time, The Den remains locked. It’s as simple as that. All sources of conflict headed off at the pass.

technology ruining your family
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The benefits of creating healthy digital habits

I’ve written previously about creating healthy digital habits. And if technology is ruining your family life, you will know just how bad digital habits can be. There’s so much evidence around the negative impact that too much screen time has on children’s emotional, physical and mental health.

Children need time away from screens to be happy, healthy, active, confident and capable young people. They also need boundaries. We all know as parents that setting and maintaining boundaries can be one of the hardest things out – especially when it comes to screen time.

That’s why I love the ethos behind TechDen. It’s as if it was your own personal screen time management squad. For example, it – not you – issues two notifications before their device needs to be returned to The Den with ample notice provided helping you to set the boundaries without going head to head in conflict.

Once these boundaries have been set and honoured, this gives more time for the things you once loved as a family – talking, playing, getting outdoors, physical activity – all of which are crucial to the wellbeing of any child – as well as the other important stuff like homework and sleep!

Have a look at how it works here:

Technology ruining your family? It’s time to take back control

They say that September is the new January – a time for all things new without the ineffeciveness of resolutions. And if that’s the case, this is a great time to give your children a fresh start in creating healthier digital habits. Sure – a little bit of screentime is fine – but children need to experience real face to face life as well. And TechDen is a great ally in making that happen.

Here are some parting tips I’d like to leave you with for taking back ownership of your family time:

  • Involve your children in the limit-setting process. Children are often more reasonable than we give them credit for, and for this to work, they need to play a part in the limits being set. Remember children crave and need boundaries so you have that on your side.
  • Be ready for “I’m Bored”. This is going to take some adjustment. Remember boredom is not a bad thing – in fact we could all do with being a bit more bored more often!
  • Be a good role model. Set yourself and other adults in the mix screen time limits too.
  • Have some tech free activities lined up – whether that’s taking the dog for a walk, going to the playground after school, playing a board game after dinner, having a kick around together, baking, painting etc. There are so many other things you can do once you’re free from the call of devices.
Is technology ruining your family? Introducing Tech Den - your solution! #screentime #parenting
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Where to buy TechDen

TechDen is from John Lewis RRP £149.

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Is technology ruining your family life? Do you struggle with setting screen time limits? And what do you think about TechDen as a way of supporting parents with managing their children’s screentime? Do share in a comment below.

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*This post was commissioned by TechDen. All opinions are my own.

Cover picture credit: People photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com

32 comments

  1. I think it is the norm isn’t it, go to see family and most of us are distracted by our phones. Even my kids, the first thing they ask when they get home is can we look on YouTube or play games. I think switching off by a certain time each night is a must,

  2. Oh wow what an original concept and one I wish we had sometimes – not even for the children, but for me! My job is on my phone, so drawing the line and knowing when to stop can be hard but with TechDen it would be easier 🙂

  3. We are heavy screen users in our family and I’m so conscious of it around Ethan. I’d love not to look at screens so much. I love the idea of TechDen, I think we’d benefit loads from something like this.

  4. What a bloody brilliant idea! My son uses it a lot but he is so whacked from high school after just a few weeks and all the extra sports clubs and now having to walk to and from school that I am quite relaxed about his usage in the evenings.

    This would be very helpful at the weekends though x

  5. That’s a really interesting concept. I’m just as bad as my kids though when it comes to screen time – since I use my phone as a camera, music player, and it’s our main phone line as we don’t have a landline, so it’s always out, but then I’m tempted to do other stuff on it.

  6. Fantastic. My eldest has just been given a phone, and he’s not too bad in the week, but it could be better. I’m quite strict with their screen time anyway, but TechDen looks like a great solution to lock them all away!

  7. This sounds like a great tool to help every parents manage their kids screen time and this is actually what I needed especially for my boys which loves online games.

  8. So interesting to read about everyone’s experiences with screen time – so many different stories here. It’s great that we are all sharing about it online because opening up conversation about it plays an important part in finding the right way forward x

  9. Whenever we go for a meal there is inevitably a child in the restaurant glued to a screen while the adults take some time to talk or enjoy their meal. Its even happened with us when we go out with family who have young kids. I can see the benefits of keeping a child entertained or distracted so they don’t get bored, but its not teaching them how to socialise properly and how to behave when they are out with other people. These are really important lessons they should be learning – like the rest of us had to!.

  10. I think it’s important to get outside and get some fresh air whatever the weather, its good to get extra exercise but it’s also good to get natural light and fresh air

  11. We limit screen time. My daughters attitude negatively changes when she’s allowed to watch YouTube so that’s banned now. Instead we do baking and craft activities when we can but my children are also very good at playing independently or together without us parents – I know I’m very lucky that way

  12. it is a good product for younger kids to get used to for boundaries to be set . harder though to set with teens who have had technology on demand for so long to deal with .

  13. when my kids were young (back in late 80’s) every night we played board games after dinner, we also did not have a working tv for about 5 yrs, their mates at school could not believe we did not have a TV!!

  14. When I was a girl I was outside all the time on my bike or roller skates I was lucky because their was a park behind my house

  15. When I was a kid I played with Sindy dolls, so used my imagination, played board game, so learnt to play with others, read books, did crafts, baked and spent all day outside in the Summer. These days kids are always indoors watching screens and they ignore everyone around them.

  16. It;s hard when they use screens for their homework as well, mine do alot of activities like scouts, cubs etc and sports so sometimes they need a break

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