The cell phone. We’ve gotten to a point where we can’t do anything without them, and to a point where they distract us from everything. Massive amounts of research has been, and is being, done about the impact this has on our minds and our relationships. But let me mention just a few quick reasons we should put our cell phones down as it relates to our kids.

1. Your kids need your attention. I know it’s entertaining, but there’s probably nothing on our cell phone so important that we should ignore our kids. Allowing our phones to dominate our time is neglectful to our kids and certainly sends the wrong message to them.

2. You set a bad social example. None of us like it when people stare at their phone when we talk to them, but we are often quick to do the same. Even worse, we are far more likely to do this with our kids. When we do this, we set a bad example for them.

3. You invite bad habits. As I mentioned above, our cell phones are having a negative impact on our minds and our relationships. As we set a bad example for our kids, we invite them to do the same. Let’s be careful to point them in a better direction.

These are just a few reasons why we might consider putting our phones down and doing something constructive with our kids.