Behavioral Coach Matt Bomar, is here to help us understand how we can improve our relationship with our child (and our phones). 

Ready to build healthier screen time habits as a family? Try these 3 tips today: 

• Discuss online safety often. It’s important to start an open, honest conversation about staying safe online from a young age and to continue the discussion as your child gets older. Encourage them to come to you if they ever find themselves in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation. 
• Set tech boundaries together. Limits help children feel safe and teach them how to self-regulate. It can be beneficial to create a family media plan so that you can set clear, realistic limits together. Talk about app limits, parental controls, no tech times, and ways that you can all use technology in healthier ways. Everyone will feel empowered by being able to participate in the conversation. 
• Don’t invite phones to dinner. Encourage members of your family to keep their devices away from the dinner table and use this time to connect with one another without distractions. To get the conversation flowing, try asking your kids prompts like, “If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?” or “What’s something you’re looking forward to this week?” 

‍Here are even more strategies from a Bend therapist on how to curb your child or teen’s dependency on their devices.