Parents urged to put phones away and focus on family this Christmas
Parents are being urged to take a hard look at their phone habits this Christmas, after England’s children’s commissioner said that many children feel ignored during family time.
Dame Rachel de Souza revealed that children often tell her that meals, conversations and special moments at home are broken up by parents constantly checking their phones.
During the festive period, she said, children want something simple and straightforward: to be listened to.
“I hear this again and again,” she said. “Children sitting at the table while adults scroll. So this Christmas, let’s try switching off.”
Her comments follow research suggesting that nearly half of parents plan to allow phones at the Christmas dinner table.
Other surveys show that smartphones regularly interrupt family gatherings, with conversations trailing off as people retreat into their own screens.
Dame Rachel admitted that this is not just a problem for children. She said that adults also struggle, and that rules around screen time only work if parents also follow them.
“Children notice when the standards are different,” she said.
The commissioner has released new guidance for parents, encouraging clearer boundaries and more honest conversations about online life.
It builds on interviews with young people, who often struggle to make sense of online risks and avoid them, even when those experiences are upsetting.
Psychologist Professor Pete Etchells said that Christmas can expose habits that normally slip by unnoticed. With routines disrupted, phone use becomes harder to ignore.
“It’s not about banning phones completely,” he said. “It’s about noticing when they get in the way.”
Recent figures suggest that children spend around three hours a day online.
Campaigners say that small changes, such as phone-free meals, can help families reconnect, even if it’s only for a brief time.