About a week and a half ago, Jesse dropped his phone in the lake while duck hunting. To our surprise, instead of this being something that was a sort of frustrating expense and inconvenience, it turned into an unexpected blessing.
On this week’s episode of the podcast, Jesse and I talk candidly about how addicting the phone can become, changes we’ve implemented to spend less time on our phones, and what has been working for us (as well as some things we are trying!)
We also share some of how we are approaching phones with our kids, the dangers parents need to be aware of, and what we’re learning as we’re navigating having a teen and pre-teens in the age of so much connectivity and technology.
What has helped you to be wise and intentional with your phone usage? I’d love to hear your suggestions and insights!
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In This Episode:
[01:34] Why elderberry syrup is saving my life these days.
[04:37] Jesse’s phone took a swim, listen to hear how it was a blessing in disguise.
[13:53] How we turned the loss of the phone into a finances discussion with our kids.
[16:20] Why phones have become an unhealthy addiction and how to break up with them.
[19:12] How parents need to be aware of the dangers that are out there when it comes to our phones.
[24:42] What kind of example are we setting for our kids with our phone usage?
Links and Resources:
- Four Mothers Elderberry Syrup
- CrystalPaine.com
- MoneySavingMom.com
- YourBloggingMentor.com
- My Instagram account (I’d love for you to follow me there! I usually hop on at least a few times per day and share behind-the-scenes photos and videos, my grocery store hauls, funny stories, or just anything I’m pondering or would like your advice or feedback on!)
- Have feedback on the show or suggestions for future episodes or topics? Send me an email: crystal@moneysavingmom.com
How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show
The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player here. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)
Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.
A few times a year, I go on a social media fast, so my phone strictly becomes for calls and texts during that time. It really helps me clear my head and come back to focus on what’s really important to me.
I love that! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m curious what age do you let your kids get phones?
As we’ve told our kids, it depends on whether we deem there’s a need for it and whether there is the maturity level there or not, so we don’t have a set age and just plan to take it child by child!
For me the Apple Watch has made a HUGE difference in being able to let go of the phone.
Will you ever consider adding transcripts for your podcasts? It would make the show much more accessible to those that are hard of hearing. Thanks!
We have decided not to because so much of what we share is best received via audio instead of in the written word as it’s really personal. We just feel like transcripts wouldn’t allow people to get the full gist and heart of the conversation and so we’ve decided to just stick with audio. Thanks so much for your understanding!
One of my goals for the new year was to stay off social media from 5pm to 8pm. I set the Downtime function on my phone and disabled all social media during those hours. It has been wonderful! If you’d ask me, I would have said I didn’t “scroll” that much but now I realize I did. And you know what? I rarely pick my phone up at night once my downtime is over. I’m more present and I am able to get other things on my goal list. Game changer!
I love that!! Thanks so much for sharing!