You Can't Text a Tough Conversation

When you see something that you think another person would find exciting or valuable, take a picture of it and text it to them. It’s a quick way to let them know you were thinking about them and care about what matters to them

Use social media to stay in touch with family and friends and to share photos of important events. If we’re not tech savvy, it’s worth the investment of time to figure this one out. Our kids can teach us. This is also a way of respecting them by participating in their world.

Develop a culture of playing board games as a family. Make sure the games are age appropriate and fun and invite their friends to be part of the festivities. Board games won’t replace their tech games, but they will provide a chance for nonelectronic entertainment that includes personal interaction.

Develop a family purpose statement, describing what the governing values of the family are.

Use a Bluetooth or similar feature in our car to connect with our spouse on the way home. My friend calls his wife, and they talk about their day so they’re connected before he gets home. That frees him up to come home and immediately take over with the kids because he and his wife have already made their initial connection.

Set up no-tech zones in the house, like a living room or family room where no electronics are allowed. This becomes a talking/playing/connecting area.

But without the 93 percent of communication that takes place in person, putting confrontation in writing can be like pouring gasoline onto a quickly spreading blaze.

High emotion, high value, and low communication make the perfect storm. They’re a recipe for disaster.

Dance like no one is watching . . . because they’re not . . . they are checking their phone.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate me as a (husband, wife, friend, boss, sibling, etc.), and what would it take to move me up to a 10?”

What are we not doing that we need to start doing?
What are we doing that we need to stop doing?
What are we doing that’s working and we need to continue doing?