Tech-A-Break and Break Out The Board Games Instead!
It’s important to note that Tech-Break isn’t about taking away screen-time but rather reducing it, allowing for better time-management and promoting family time… Which often takes a backseat when all individuals in the home are focussed on their devices.
Which is why it’s important that all household participants including any adults and parents alike, to collectively participate also, rather than the sole focus being only on the children. And if the routine is to stick in terms of longevity, it’s crucial the adults lead by example.
“Parents are their children’s version of normal so whatever they do, the children think is normal and even desirable behaviour, so they are likely to copy it.” – Dr. Amanda Gummer.
We understand every household is different and so whenever your schedules allow, i.e. one evening a week, or over the weekends, etc. It is fundamental to understand the advantages that family time provides to children.
And what better way to spend screen-free time with your family than to bring out the board games!
The advancement of time and technology aside, there’s just those instances where old school will always prevail. Simply because there’s those handy skills being sat scrolling or clicking away on a screen won’t teach you.
Board Games further advance a child’s education, teaching them basic life skills about teamwork, patience, and how to win and lose gracefully and has been proven to accelerate brain stimulation in children and adults alike and aid in language development.
Different types of board games present different benefits – there’s strategic board games such as Chess, Checkers, Reversie etc. all which help you learn and improve your strategic skills.
Then there’s intuitive board games, such as – Cluedo, The Game of Life, Mastermind, etc. Which get the brain ticking, as you try and navigate your way through the trials of the game in order to come out victorious.
Informative board games – Monopoly, Articulate, Scrabble. All of which are also educational; Monopoly has an arithmetic feel to it, whereas scrabble and articulate have spelling and vocabulary factors attached to them, then fun games like Jenga being based on logic and physics and last but not least, Who Knows Where and the World Game both having a Geographical feel to them.
Board games are also a good source of promoting early learning in young children. Even simple games help young players identify colours, count spaces, and develop and improve their hand-eye coordination and dexterity through moving cards and pieces around the board.
Whilst simultaneously also providing useful life lessons such as learning to wait your turn, needing to work as part of a team (which in itself helps to curb social anxiety) and abiding by the rules. All of which are transferrable skills they’d need in the real world.
And whilst online learning gives children access to the resources they need to continue their schooling, the inclusion of board games on days where the family is together would do no harm when giving them a break from the screens as their education can still be continuous. Thus board games being key evidence that children don’t constantly need to be glued to their screens in order to learn.
It’s no secret that families are struggling to find the balance between digital and real-life connections, but board games provide a tool for that emotional connection to each other. And another win is that they’re also affordable.
And where does Tech-Break come into this, you ask?
Because step 1 is getting off those phones, tablets and handheld consoles and storing them away safely until family time’s over, of course.
Step 2, however, is up to YOU.
Get your family life back with Tech-Break.