Day 23- Put Down the cell phone!

Nothing is more irritating then when you are trying to talk to someone and their head is buried in a phone. It is rude and makes the other person feel unimportant.  We have become a society that thinks if we don't read that email or text message the instant it is received the world will end.  The exception I have, is if my kids or husband aren't with me, then I will check and  make sure it is not them contacting me. But, if you must check it, saying a simple "excuse me", instead of stopping  mid-sentence, makes a big difference.   

Make cell phone free hours in your home, when your eating or doing homework.  Have everyone leave their phone to charge at night, in one spot, kids do not need to be texting to the wee ours of the night.    Another pet peeve I have, is when you text someone in another room instead of personally walking over to them.  This is very important for dealing with kids.  Kids need the role model to learn the importance of SOCIAL communication.  This requires eye contact, tone and body language.

When you are home with your family, make sure your kids and spouse know you are available.  If you can't stand the thought of hearing 'ping' and not running to find out who it is, then turn your phone off.   This goes for working spouses and kids too. It drives me crazy when I am telling my husband a story about the kids and he is ignoring me and sending an email for work.  Since it is 'work' related, it makes a difference, I don't think so. Kids need limits too, sit  down as a  family and set rules for  appropriate cell phone usage. 

Take the time to talk and listen to what your kids have to say.  Don't make your spouse feel like finding out how many people 'like' your new family photo on Facebook, is more important then them.  Technology is a great thing, cell phones are convenient and great communication tools, but so is good ol' fashion talking!  Try it, you may be surprised what you learn.

This is part of a 31 day series, to read more click here

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