It is quite obvious that distracted parents would be less responsive and sensitive to their children. In the age of smart phones, social media, online shopping, and ever-increasing screen time, what impact does this have on babies and young children?
This is an area where increasing study is happening, and one reason why I feel the importance of sharing on breathwork, and other practices that help us land in presence, for parents to take on for themselves and pass on to the next generation.
Studies have shown that parents who use their phones during parent-child interactions (an example would be a mother using their phone during breastfeeding) are less sensitive and responsive both verbally and nonverbally to their children’s bids for attention.
This creates lower quality parent-child interactions and has an impact on attachment styles.
Older children, in response the this, may engage in risky attention seeking behaviours, which may further be connected to an increase in childhood injuries.
One study that looked at infants and toddlers from seven months to two years old, assessed children on temperament, social engagement, exploration, and ‘post-disruption reunion and recovery.’
The researchers reported that children expressed more distress, and were less likely to explore their environment, when their mothers were using mobile phones.
Because the use of mobile phones reduces opportunities for emotional feedback, needed by babies and young children to develop emotion regulation, like other forms of withdrawal and unresponsiveness from primary care-givers, mobile device use can have a negative impact on infant social-emotional functioning.
Set limits, be conscious, find practices for stillness
The antidote to this is clear: less sreentime and more presence.
However, it has become such a habit, for most people, to pick up our phones in any moment of quiet, of alone time, in the pauses of our days, that to do so may take a commitment.
You can start small.
Commit to a five minute breathwork practice per day, sans phone.
Notice if, over time, in the space after the practice, the desire to pick up your phone lessens.
Commit to putting your phone away at a specific point in the evening, and to not looking at it for a period at the start of your day. Perhaps the first hour. Perhaps two.
Small, incremental, changes will make a huge different in the long term.
Breathwork can also be practiced whilst feeding, with the eyes open, to keep that connection to your baby or child. If your mind gets busy in quiet moments, a breath practice is often a wonderful antidote: soothing the body and bringing the mind to stillness.
If you have thoughts or opinions of phones and attachment, or connection, as a parent to your child, do leave a comment and let me know.
