Kids Mobile Timing Increasing Due To In-laws And Husband Pampering

It’s hard to do this on your own if others don’t share your views. I would also be unhappy with so much screen time. Can you put your son in some class or activity after school, so his time gets occupied till you are free to sit with him?

 

1) Arrange and plan your household work when he is not at home so that when he is there, you should only get up to switch on/off or start stop and work should be done! - Limit your household work to a max of 1 hour when he is home and alert and will engage with you.

2) Make place for him to sit with you wherever you are dancing to the tunes of household work!

3) Let him do art, craft, homework, worksheets, mobile time (1 hour max) when your main focus is on household work - but you are able to give some attention to his work too

4) Reward him with his favourite activity and your complete attention when he limits his mobile time to 1 hour.

5) Follow a routine everyday - kids are always creatures of habit - if they know what to do, they will do it without complaining ... but if they are allowed escape routes on one day, they will push boundaries

6) So, if DH, in-laws cannot support you, please clearly tell them not to at least interfere or contradict your permissions, rules, discipline

7) Arrange a physical class - dance, karate, yoga or play time with a friend - to channelise his energy positively - complete your housework during this time.

 

In a small town, you might have parks and some friends of your kid close by -

You could set up play dates at parks or have other parents supervise a safe activity - you could all take turns - the play dates dont always have to be play - you can plan mock exams also together! Kids usually enjoy writing an exam at home along with their friends! Especially if the exam paper is created by them for each other !! Try it out!
It could be dancing or drama or debate - each of your moms can suggest what is comfortable and take turns and eventually - the kids themselves will get into a groove!

I used to usually call the kids for icecream and chocolate making or pizza or sandwiches! - they would all participate, help me make it, then would also help clean up and then eat it all with gusto!
Anytime kids used to come home, they knew they had to write 1 exam - they would prefer to complete it as soon as they all arrive!
Then cooking and eating time! Then clean up and independent play time (usually board games which slowly graduated to sitting around and talking and their own dumbcharades and quizzes etc)
In later years, I used to give popcorn or other snacks during the games too (you know how teenagers can eat!)

Once you make it a routine and give some space, they will develop!

Also, consider getting help for household work - it is easier in small towns - get someone to come home and take care of some aspect of play time with your kid, OR you take the play time and get someone to chop vegetables or fold clothes (or any other household duties)!
The key is to find all possible times that your kid is available and keep him busy with people and activities so that he finds other things more exciting ("stimulating" is the buzzword) than the mobile phone!

This is the age to develop more social skills than gadget skills