Why Cornwall Council wants your phone in the kitchen

You walk through the door after work, drop your bag, and reach for your phone before your coat is even off. There is a food shop to order, a class WhatsApp lighting up, a school notice you meant to read at lunchtime. And down on the carpet, a small person is waiting for you to look up and notice them.

Cornwall Council has put its Phones Away campaign back in front of parents and carers this week through its latest newsletter, and the timing is deliberate. The campaign is not new, but the message behind it is one the council clearly thinks is worth repeating. It asks parents of young children to put their phones down during the key moments of the day, so there is more time to talk, play and connect.

A small change one Cornish mum made

The push comes with a story from a local parent. One Cornish mum recently shared what the campaign did for her. She said it helped her reflect on her own phone habits and make a few simple changes, the main one being to leave her phone in the kitchen when she got home rather than carry it from room to room.

She found it helped her become more present and engaged, and said it made a real difference to family time and to her child’s development. It is a small thing. That is rather the point.

Why those small moments matter

The science behind the campaign is where it gets its urgency. Around 90% of a child’s brain growth happens before the age of five, and the way a young child’s brain develops is shaped by the adults around them. It happens through talking, smiling, looking at each other and being interested in what the other is doing.

Children thrive on that connection. Across thousands of tiny moments in the early years, a parent watching alongside as their child plays, or smiling across the playground at the end of the school day, is helping build the skills that child needs for a healthy and happy life. The more we chat, play and read with our children, the more we help build their brains. When a screen nearby pulls our attention away, those small but powerful moments can slip past unnoticed.

Cornwall’s parents seem to feel this themselves. In a recent survey of more than 400 parents and carers in the county, over half said their phone use sometimes distracts them from noticing their children. More than a third shared concerns about how often they reach for their phone around them.

This is not about judgement

The council is careful to frame the campaign as help rather than a telling-off. Being a parent today means juggling work, home life and a constant buzz of notifications. Phones are part of everyday life, useful for arranging play dates, ordering the shopping, managing work and keeping on top of school messages. The point is simply to notice when phone use is getting in the way of the moments that matter, and to offer easy ways to reconnect through play, conversation and shared time.

You can read more about the campaign on the Cornwall Council Phones Away page.

Where to find ideas that actually help

The campaign points to a long list of free resources, whether you are after activity ideas, reassurance, or a nudge to pause and be present.

For managing screen time in a healthy way, Health Professionals for Safer Screens sets out the facts and practical advice.

For local support, your nearest Cornwall library offers free access to books and events built around literacy and wellbeing, and the Cornwall Family Information Service has advice on childcare, family matters and things to do locally.

For screen-free activity ideas, there is plenty to pick from. The NHS Best Start in Life has tips on turning everyday moments like cooking and playing into chances for your child to learn new words, from first sounds through to first words and little sentences. CBeebies’ Tiny Happy People has quick, free activities that slot into a daily routine, and the Easy Peasy app gives parents and carers in Cornwall free parenting advice and activity ideas for children from birth to five.

For boosting language and literacy, Words for Life has quick tips for chatting, playing and reading together, and its Chat Play Read booklet is full of simple activities for babies and toddlers. The NSPCC’s Look, Say, Sing, Play has easy tips for daily routines, and you can sign up for its weekly emails too.

For getting little ones moving, Active Cornwall has 52 physical play ideas from birth and 52 more for ages one to two, most needing little or no equipment, and the Youth Sport Trust’s Healthy Movers activity cards offer more of the same to do at home.

As the campaign puts it, what might seem simple or silly can be life-changing. Every smile, cuddle, chat and game adds up. Any time, anywhere, at home or out and about, it all counts.