How many times have you heard “I just need to finish this” when it’s time to eat, play together, or get ready for bed? It feels like you’ll be tearing off their hands to remove the device. But with a few clear routines, I have helped my charges redirect their attention.
My first reply is the best: “It will be there in a little bit.” Because it will! When people are together, I encourage togetherness by talking and interacting—even making-believe or play-acting while in the tire store waiting room or the grocery store. Adventures are everywhere!
Another way to change course is to have an area where we dump out Lincoln Logs or other ever-changing games, and we keep going back to them, changing the creations. In this way, we can practice putting both technology and Legos on “pause” and coming back later.
