We’d all like to think we’d be the most attentive parents in the world and never use technology to get our kids to stop bothering us, but it’s a lot easier said than done. Sometimes parents just need a few minutes of quiet to concentrate, especially while driving. One TikTok mom utilizes the Ziploc phone hack to entertain her kids while on the road, though not everyone thinks it’s a good thing.
What is the Ziploc phone hack?
TikToker @jeffandlaurenshow says that if parents want peace and quiet while driving, the Ziploc phone hack is the “best travel hack to keep the peace on a long road trip.” All you need is a Ziploc bag and a phone.
Basically, all you do is poke 2 holes in a Ziploc bag where the headrest attaches to the front seat. You then plop a phone inside the bag, attach the bag to the seat, and then it hangs there while the kid in the backseat watches a video.
“Things I wish I knew as a first time mom,” she captioned the clip, which has more than 50 million views.
Commenters were none too pleased with the “hack.”
@jeffandlaurenshow Best travel #hack to keep the peace on a long road trip. #toddlermom #toddlerlife #momhack #momhacks #lifehacks #momsover30
While it might quiet kids down for a while, many people felt that kids already spent too much time with technology and that this isn’t helping.
“Oh yes, keep ‘em addicted to those screens,” one commenter sarcistically remarked.
“If they’re bored then engage with them, they are your kids,” another person said.
A third suggested she might offer the kids a book to read instead, though others were quick to point out that the kids might not be at an age where they can read just yet.
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There were plenty of people who support the Ziploc phone hack to quiet kids down.
“I’d rather have my kids watch something on TV than kick and scream and cry because they’re bored,” one person said.
Of course, if you’re a single parent, you can’t really concentrate on the road ahead of you while also entertaining your kid, so it’s a hard balance to strike.
Plus, kids who act out can create distractions that keep drivers from really focusing on what they’re doing, and that could be dangerous.
Nevertheless, the American Academy of Child of Adolescent Psychiatry says that kids aged 2 to 5 should only have one hour per weekday of TV and 3 hours on a weekend. Toddlers between 18 and 24 months should be limited to educational programming, and only occasionally.
