A Blog by Colleen Noll

Hey Parents,

We’ve talked about the kids’ meltdowns, age-appropriate rules, car rides, restaurants, rainy days, the gift of boredom, and even our own MPO6 stories with refrigerator boxes and Art Night.

Now it’s time for the part that often feels hardest:
US!

Because here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud, it’s much easier to set screen limits for our children than it is to put our own phones down.

I’ve been there. You sit down for two minutes, reach for your phone “just to check one thing,” and suddenly ten minutes (or thirty) have disappeared. Meanwhile your child is watching. Closely.

In our MPO6 home, smartphones arrived when the kids were already 11–13. We still had to learn how to keep devices from taking over family time. The same principles apply whether your children are two or twelve: kids notice what we do far more than what we say.

So how do we put our phones down without feeling like we’re missing something important… or losing our minds?

Start With Honesty, Not Guilt

You’re not a bad parent because you like your phone. Phones are useful. They help us work, stay connected, answer questions, and sometimes just breathe for a minute. The goal isn’t to never use them. The goal is to use them on purpose instead of by habit.

Practical Ways to Put the Phone Down (That Actually Work)

1. Create phone-free zones and times
   Pick a few non-negotiables and stick to them most days:
   – No phones at the dinner table
   – Phones stay in a basket or on a counter during the first hour after school or daycare pickup
   – No phones during the bedtime routine

   Starting small is better than trying to overhaul everything at once.

2. Use a simple “parking spot”
   Choose one place in the house where phones live when you’re home and present with the kids. When the phone has a designated home, it’s easier to leave it there.
3. Turn off non-essential notifications
   Most of what pings us is not urgent. Fewer alerts mean fewer reasons to pick the phone up out of reflex.
4. Replace the reach with something better
   When you feel the urge to scroll, try a short alternative: take three deep breaths, look out the window, stretch, or simply sit with your child for two minutes. The urge often passes.
   
   
5. Be open with your kids
   It’s okay to say, “I’m putting my phone away so I can be with you right now.” Children feel the difference when we choose them over the screen, and they respect honesty.
   Give yourself the same grace you give them.
   Some days the phone will win. That’s human. What matters is the overall pattern you return to.

Why This Matters More Than We Think

When our children see us regularly choosing presence over the phone, they learn two powerful lessons:

• People are more important than screens.
• It’s possible to be bored or quiet without needing constant input.

We’re not just managing their screen time. We’re modeling a way of living.

A Gentle Closing Thought for This Series

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be intentional more often than not.

Every time you leave the phone in the other room during dinner, every time you walk into school holding your child’s hand instead of a device, every time you sit through a few minutes of boredom without reaching for distraction; you’re building something valuable.

You’re showing your children that real life, with all its quiet moments and ordinary days, is still worth paying attention to.

And that might be one of the best gifts we can give them.

Thank you for walking through this entire “What, No iPad?” series with me. I hope these posts have given you both practical ideas and a little extra courage to keep going.

You’ve got this, one intentional moment at a time.

With love, imperfect progress, and plenty of deep breaths,

Colleen Noll

MSOSV Founder & MPO6 mom who’s still practicing putting her own phone down. This wraps up our first topic!

Next series, starting November 3rd: Special Holiday Series: A December Survival Guide for Parents.