Claudia Grolimund, 45, a medical practice assistant, lives in Egerkingen (SO) with her husband Michele, 45, who works for a construction company, their son Diego, 13, and their daughter Elin, 4.
Claudia: «It was very important to us not just to give Diego a mobile phone, but to set clear rules right from the start. That's why we drew up a media usage agreement together.»
Diego: «I wanted us to set clear rules on mobile phone use. That way, I still have enough time for friends, football and other hobbies. I've seen it with others who can organise their screen time however they like – things like that tend to get neglected.»
Claudia: «We didn't follow any guidelines when it came to setting times; instead, we looked at Diego's timetable and his daily hobbies and thought about it together: when and how much time is there for his mobile? On Mondays, for example, his day is so full that there's no time for screen time. It all fell into place really quickly. Although there were certainly some challenges at the start.»
Diego: «When I got my mobile, it was still the holidays. I'd often used up all my data by the morning . There were so many new things to try out – it goes really quickly.»
As parents, we also have to accept that he has his own interests and needs, and that these days so much is done via mobile phones.
Claudia, mother
Dialogue is more important than bans
Claudia: «That first period with the mobile phone was tough for me. Diego has so many hobbies – he loves painting, playing football and playing the drums. And suddenly he was constantly staring at the device. At times, I really felt the urge to say: ‹We've got to take it away from him again!› And that was despite the fact that he only spent very little time on screen and was actually managing it very well. But you just tend to worry quickly because you hear so many bad things. As parents, you want to get everything right for your own child as much as possible.»
Diego: « My parents have become more relaxed about it now. At first, I was never allowed to use my mobile in the mornings before school. But I'm just interested in the football results from the night before, and if I ask about them, I'm allowed to look them up.»
Claudia: «It's certainly important to keep the lines of communication open and not just impose strict bans. As parents, we also have to accept that he has his own interests and needs, and that so much of life these days revolves around mobile phones. We want to take him seriously in that regard. Nevertheless, we still don't allow everything. Snapchat, for example, is a big issue for many other families, but we don't have it – I think the risk of addiction is too high.»
Diego: «That's fine by me. I can chat to others on WhatsApp; I don't necessarily need another app for that. And I also think it's good that I'm not allowed to take my mobile into my room at night. I don't miss out on anything. If I had it with me, I might be tempted to use it after all, and then I'd getless sleep.»
