Your School-Age Child vs. Your Phone
Your 5-9 year old has noticed that you're always on your phone. Here's what they're quietly doing about it, and what to say when you see it happening.
This week’s scenario
Your child used to talk to you about everything. The kid at school who said the funny thing, the dream they had last night, the picture they drew, or the thought that popped into their head while you were cooking dinner. They told you because telling you was the natural next step after thinking it. I remember my eldest at this stage, he would start almost every conversation with, “And did you know…?”
But then somewhere along the way, they got quieter. Not silent. They still talk, but the everyday small stuff that you loved to hear about slowed to a trickle, and now they only tell you things that are big enough to be worth interrupting whatever you’re doing. And even those, sometimes, they’re debating to themselves whether they should tell you.
You might have noticed them watching you on your phone. Not openly. Not with comment. Just a quick glance, a quiet read of the situation, and then a decision about whether to come over. They’ve started to factor in whether you are available before they ask.
Listen to the podcast
Your Child vs. Your Phone: When Your School-Age Child Stops Telling You Things
In this episode:
1. What's developmentally happening now that's so important.
2. What they're building now that will be used for every future relationship.
3. How the Prophet ﷺ physically signaled his presence to others.
Scripts
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