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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Technology means work and outside pressures can’t be avoided at home, but these blurred boundaries may make it difficult to be present with kids. Dr. Annette St. Pierre-Makoul joined us in the studio to discuss this and more. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics: Looked at parental use of mobile technology around young children. Caused internal tension and conflicts. Resulted in negative interactions with their kids. It’s a challenge for parents to balance the two. Parental Struggles: Feel like they are in more than one place at a time. Feeling like they are still at work. Keep up socially with friends and relatives. Cook dinner and attend to their kids. Boundaries are blurred! Study Design: Moms, dads and grandmothers were studied. Internal struggle between multitasking phone, work and children. Resulted in information overload and emotional tensions. Family routines were interrupted, such as meal time. Trickle-Down Effect: Emotional response to info on mobile device … Caused them to react to their children differently. Children then had ‘attention-seeking- behaviors’ that … Resulted in parents snapping negatively at the kids. Positives of Mobile Technology and Parenting: ‘Escape’ from the boredom and stress of parenting at home. Ability to work from home. Easier communication with estranged family members. Allow children some independent time. Feel relevant at work and other parts of life. Negatives of Mobile Technology and Parenting: Fewer verbal and nonverbal interactions with children. Mobile technology is unpredictably demanding of attention. Great emotional investment is also seen. Parents are using mobile devices 3 hours per day (on average). Recommendations: Set boundaries. Create a family plan including unplugged spaces or times of day. Track your mobile use. Create a filter or block to avoid temptation. Apps like ‘Moment’ and ‘Quality Time’ may help. Identify top device stressors. Use technology only when your children are occupied.