Wanting to spend a warm, sunny day with their three kids, a couple invited them out for a short trip to a beach town in Warrnambool in Victoria, Australia.
Understandably, since the destination would consist of them being in a dangerous place known as the outdoors, the kids weren’t too keen on the plan. According to Australian mum Cassie Langan, her kids simply responded: “that’s so boring, I don’t want to go”.
Partly as a lark, and partly as an act of petty revenge, the parents took someone else out to the beach with them. That someone, or something, was apparently their “most overworked family member” who deserved a day out.
Which was, of course, their wireless router. The D-Link AC750 Dual-Band VDSL/ADSL2+ Wireless Router, if we’re being precise.
Image source: Facebook (Cassie Langan)
Untethered by cables and freed of internet connectivity duties, the little black router had a grand ol’ time at Warrnambool’s gorgeous beach, checking out the ocean, frolicking at the playground, and even chasing after seagulls.
Image source: Facebook (Cassie Langan)
Image source: Facebook (Cassie Langan)
The lad even enjoyed a meal or two.
Image source: Facebook (Cassie Langan)
Image source: Facebook (Cassie Langan)
After a day well spent, the router watched the sun go down and arrived home to crack open a cold can of Tooheys beer.
Image source: Facebook (Cassie Langan)
Image source: Facebook (Cassie Langan)
“Modem had a fantastic day not being used by the kids and it was lovely not to listen to constant bickering,” wrote Cassie, whose post has since resonated with tens of thousands of netizens worldwide. It’s likely that her kids didn’t have much fun staying at home with no Wi-Fi connection available.
What you can do if you’re scratching your head and saying to yourself “my teenager never wants to leave the house – help!”
While this interesting method displayed by these Aussie parents is one way of convincing your child to leave the house, it might not be a one-size-fits-all solution to your “my teenager never wants to leave the house” headache!
Try these tips to nurture a positive relationship with your child while coaxing him/her to peel his/her eyes away from the phone and explore the outside world for a bit!
1. Schedule in family time
Having an agreed time where you spend as a family together can be set as a non-negotiable.
While your teenagers or pre-teens might want to venture out with their friends and socialise (which is also great in and of itself!), sparing a couple of hours or an afternoon on the weekend won’t cost your kids that much.
You can sweeten the deal by asking your kids where they want to go, and do a couple of activities the whole family can enjoy.
Having a hobby and active lifestyle will go a long way to developing a well-rounded child.
Even as a teenager, your child can still discover a new hobby like martial arts or a musical instrument.
Let your child’s personality guide you in suggesting different activities. If your little one is quiet and reserved, classes with smaller groups may suit him/her better such as arts, music, baking, or creative writing.
On the other hand, large groups with a lot of activity may be more suitable if your child is very outgoing and active. Consider martial arts, acting or things with public speaking, and dancing.
3. Try the “150 rule”
Let’s face it, parents are as addicted to their smartphones as their kids are.
There’s an endless sea of content on the internet that can keep you stuck to your phone for hours if you wanted to.
Then there’s social media. Your kids might have fear of missing out (FOMO) on their friend’s lives and what they’re up to seemingly every moment of the day.
You can save a lot of time by limiting how many friends are on your social media profiles and feeds through the “150 rule” by simply limiting your friend’s list to 150, max!
You can savour and nurture relationships that are more meaningful to you, while providing less incentive to scroll endlessly on your phone.
Many parents have agonised over the issue of “my teenager never wants to leave the house”. These Australian parents decided to take matters—and the wireless router—into their own hands. It might not work for all, but it definitely made a point!
This post was first published on AsiaOne and was republished on theAsianparent with permission.
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