Pro-Connection Parenting Practices

[Dr. Brandon McDaniel] And then it’s really important that we take a very intentional approach to trying to create some of these opportunities for connection. So some really easy things to implement can be like tech-free times or tech-free zones where you’ve set a particular time of the day or maybe like a dinner time or other things where it is a tech-free time being able to share in their interests. So maybe you might look at the technology or the social media use or the video game or the specific TV show or something, and maybe it’s not the thing you would want to do in that moment, but if it’s something that’s very, very important to them. So being involved in the things that are important to them, you’re going to start to build connections with them and they’re going to see that you care about them. Having intentional family fun times without tech as well. So just trying to organize things that are around activities that you know that they would like and that you can build these times together. And so basically it’s like you’re helping them practice, you know, if they’re used to having these times that are without tech with you and they’re used to having moments of engaging in meaningful conversation with you and so forth at like family dinners and all of that, then they’re more likely to want to or to have seen the value in some of those things and desire to do those things with their friends as well. And then helping them try to plan out ideas and stuff so that they feel a bit more prepared to know how to approach others if there’s a time when they want to have everybody take a break from technology or how they can share in technology use together that can help to build connections. So anyway, there’s just some initial ideas, but I’ll stop there.