FAMILY MATTERS HOW TO ENCOURAGE KIDS TO SOCIALISE FACE-TO-FACE
One in 10 Brits admits to having gone longer than three days without any face-to-face interaction, but it’s even more of a problem for screen-obsessed kids. Emma says they need to get sociable
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It’s now been so long since people met in the real world, meeting in a bar and actually talking to someone’s face and not via Whatsapp feels weird and it appears we even require an app to enable it. This concept would be an amazing development if it encouraged everyone to
BE A ROLE MODEL
If they had their way, my own boys would walk in from school, do their homework, then play online games with their mates. They chat on their headsets, so they feel “connected”, but face-to-face communication is the only way you can really know how another human is feeling. Facial cues, eye contact and body language offer you a direct insight you just don’t get via a computer. According to the largest study in the western world, children who spend more than seven hours a day staring at screens are altering how their brains work. The consequences include poorer educational attainment and higher levels of depression. I want my boys to grow into happy, successful men, so if you have teenagers like I do, I recommend creating technology-free days where nobody uses their phone – you included. This tells your kids they matter, that you’re there for them and that you want to know how they’re feeling.
INVITE PEOPLE OVER
Provide alternatives to playing on their headsets, by encouraging your kids to invite friends over. Make your home an open friend zone and they will be likelier to socialise. My lads also practise Thai Boxing and Jujitsu, in classes with adults and other teens, which builds their communication and helps them to develop as young men. Discuss similar activities or clubs your kids may like to try, and encourage them. It will increase their confidence, communication and emotional wellbeing.
CHAT TOGETHER DAILY
Cyber communication isn’t all bad, but it requires balance. Humans need the physical presence of others to thrive, and research shows that to live a long life, you need several human interactions daily, so remember that when you badger your kids to head out and see their friends in person!