WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE COMPETING WITH ELECTRONICS?

Dear Modern Day Parents,

You call your children for dinner. You ask them to do a simple chore. And without even looking up, you hear, “I can’t stop. Just one more minute. I’m in the middle of a game, or I’ll die!” What? “You’ll die!” You can already guess my response, “You won’t die in Jesus’ name!”…lol. Suddenly, something small turns into a moment of tension, and you’re thinking, " How did we get here?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had those moments too many times with my boys. The pushback. The frustration. The slammed door when the answer wasn’t what they wanted. And for a while, it felt like the problem was the screen… the game… the device. But the more I paid attention, the more I realized something deeper was going on. Maybe it’s not really about the screen. Maybe it’s about what the screen is revealing.

There’s a word we don’t use much anymore. It sounds old-fashioned, maybe even too big for kids. But it shows up right in these everyday parenting moments.

Stewardship.

Not ownership. Not entitlement. Not “this is mine, and I get to decide when I’m done.” Stewardship is the understanding that what we have—our time, our things, our attention are all things we’re responsible for, not something that controls us. And our kids? They’re already learning this, whether we’re intentionally teaching it or not.

They’re learning it in how they respond when it’s time to turn something off. They’re learning how they handle being interrupted. They’re learning it in how they react to “no.” Because the truth is, when a child says, “I can’t stop,” what they often mean is, I don’t want to stop. It feels important. It feels urgent. And in the world of the game, it is. But real life doesn’t always pause at a convenient moment. Dinner doesn’t wait for the next level. Responsibility doesn’t wait for a checkpoint. And learning to step away even when it’s hard is part of growing up.

Stewardship has never really been about the object. It’s about the attitude behind the hands that hold it. Scripture puts it simply: “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). Not perfect, just faithful.

Learning to stop something you enjoy is a skill. Managing disappointment is a skill. Choosing responsibility over impulse is a skill. Those skills don’t appear overnight. They’re built slowly, in moments like these, because stewardship isn’t taught in big lectures. It’s built in small, everyday rhythms.

It’s in small responsibilities that remind them they’re part of something bigger than themselves. These moments may not feel significant at the time, but they are shaping something deeper. Because one day, it won’t just be about turning off a game. It will be about showing up for commitments like managing finances, caring for relationships, handling opportunities, and responsibilities well. And what they’re practicing now is preparing them for all of that. It’s helping them manage their time, even screen time, so they begin to understand balance.

And while it’s important to be firm, it’s also helpful to be understanding. Because to them, they really are “in the middle” of something. So instead of dismissing it, we can guide them through it. Sometimes that looks like giving a heads-up: “You’ve got 10 minutes, then it’s time for dinner.” Sometimes it’s asking, “Is there a good stopping point coming up?” And sometimes it’s simply saying, “I know it’s hard to stop, but it’s still time.” You’re not ignoring their feelings, but you’re also not handing control over to the game. And yes, they might get frustrated. That’s okay.

This isn’t about raising perfect kids who never argue or resist. That’s not realistic. It’s about raising kids who, over time, learn that they are not controlled by what they have but rather are responsible for it.

So maybe the question isn’t how we compete with screens. Maybe the question is what we do with the moments screens create. Because those moments like the pushback, the frustration, the “just one more minute” are not just battles to win, but they’re opportunities to shape the heart. So, the next time you hear, “I can’t stop, I’m in the middle of a game,” you can take a breath and remember this isn’t just about a game. This is a moment to teach something that will last far beyond the screen.

What’s one small way I can help my child practice stewardship this week with their time, money, toys, or their attention?

💎 At Gems for Generations, we believe godly character is built through everyday moments. Let’s raise children who understand stewardship not as a chore, but as a calling.
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