Removing Your Child’s Electronics Without a Wrestling Match
What is the usual scenario?
You know the drill, you want to remove electronics as a punishment but, when you make the attempt, an emotional reaction ensues and your child or teen refuses to give up his phone or video game controller. If you push the matter, you end up literally in a wrestling match, which you know is inappropriate and ill-advised, so you get worn out over the course of time and may even give up.
What’s the alternative?
I often suggest that parents avoid direct confrontations and heated arguments – nobody wins. I’ve written prior on the importance of relying on, for example, behavior charts as opposed to cajoling your child. In that respect, the behavior chart, not you, determines the privilege level. In any case, the same applies in this scenario; the goal is to remove the electronics, when necessary, with no direct confrontation. So, how do you do that?
You could sneak
Some parents have had a degree of success sneaking into their kid’s rooms and taking their phones or video game controller. However, that is not always effective and, really, do we want to be sneaking around our own home?
There are various helpful applications
There are ways to simply shut down your child’s video games and phone. For example, Family Circle is easy to install and, through your router, allows you to turn off the wifi to any given device in the home, set a bedtime to automatically turn off the electronics, set time limits, and use a ‘pause’ button.
Family Circle can also shut off the wifi for your child’s phone, but then they can simply use their data to be online even without the wifi. In that case, you have another app-related option; there are quite a number on the market, but one is Famisafe, which downloads into your phone and your child’s phone, then you can take control of the phone, regardless of wifi (you’ll also be able to control data usage), when you see fit to do so. The app is installed in one of two ways: you send a link to your child to download the app, or you’ll have to get physical access to the phone and download it yourself.
Another option
If you contact your carrier, you can report the phone lost or stolen, and they will turn it off. Nothing changes on the phone (all the apps and connections will remain intact), and you simply call the carrier when you want the phone turned back on. According to Sprint, for example, you can make such a request as often as you want.
I hope that helps
The goal is to have a happy a harmonious home, which potentially can be enhanced if your child understands you can take control of his or her electronics at a moment’s notice, and without any direct confrontation. I hope this post helps in that process. May God bless you and your family.
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Dr. Carosso, who holds a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavioral Analysis in Special Education, has conducted more than 20,000 evaluations on children with autism, learning problems and dyslexia, attention-deficit, trauma, depression, bipolar, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and related difficulties. He has supervised dozens of clinical teams and regularly provides consultation to organizations, agencies, and parents at 6 office locations in four counties counties. Dr. Carosso also has presented at regional conferences, served on the advisory boards of local autism societies, and has served for over 10 years as an evaluator and expert witness in child welfare cases.
He produces a video series, "Dr. C's Morning Minute," that provides helpful strategies for effectively managing childhood autism, ADHD, and behavioral, emotional and learning issues. Dr. Carosso formerly co-hosted the Live weekly PCNC cable television program "Community Psychiatric Centers Presents", targeting child mental health issues, and was a regular guest on various talk shows, including "Night Talk", discussing childhood issues and related current events.
