Narrate your phone use

I have read lots of expert advice regarding phone use around children. This has covered everything from "put the phone away" to "seriously put the phone away and give your child your full attention." (There's not a lot of variety to the advice.)

We have grown accustomed to our phones, but sometimes we parents forget that we didn't start out this way - we've grown used to them over time.

So, it makes sense that our children need to get used to phones as well. I think about all the technology that surrounds my son every day and how it could potentially overwhelm him if we aren't careful about the way we introduce it.

For really young children, the best piece of advice I've heard is this: If you have to use your phone in front of your child, narrate what you are doing.

This is brilliant. I've watched a bunch of children's shows in my time, and they tend to have characters narrate whatever action is going on so that young ones can understand the link between the words and the actions, and then follow the plot. Statements like "let's look up the weather to see if we can go to the park before it rains," or "let's send a message to Nana for her birthday" are simple ways to let our young children understand why we are picking up the phone in the first place.

It's got to be easier than fully breaking the habit of picking up the phone, right?

Yes, it may feel silly at first, but I bet that if I started announcing my intended use of the phone, it would also help prevent me from just using it in moments of boredom.

And that has to be good for everyone, right?

Would you be able to start narrating your use of the phone in front of your child on a regular basis? Tell me how that would go in the comments.