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All parents know how difficult it is to get your kids to put down their handphones.
Now imagine having four children who are all hooked to their mobile devices?
That’s why celebrity couple Darren Lim, 52, and Evelyn Tan, 50, decided to sign two of their sons, Jarius, 18, and Way, 15, up for new CNA series No Screen, No Life?.
On the show, the boys were made to lock up their electronic gadgets and given a Nokia brick phone for 10 days.
The two boys, together with three other kids, will have their brain waves monitored by neuro experts at SUSS before and after the experiment to see if the detox made a difference in their cognitive functions.
When 8days.sg got a call with Evelyn and Darren, they say they had signed up all four of their kids for the experiment but were sadly were told that the show only needed two.
Evelyn and Darren, who tied the knot in 2004, also have daughter, Kristen, 19, and another son, Elliot, 11.
“We wanted all of them to go through the experiment. At least that’s 10 days of no screen time for all of them,” Evelyn laughs.
Post-experiment, the couple was pleased to see quite significant improvements in the boys’ sleep patterns and focus.
The experiment, however, also came with a fair share of struggles for everyone.
Darren said his sons were doing “quite okay” for the first two days but halfway through the experiment, started feeling the itch to reach for their phones.
Jarius, who was preparing for his O-Levels during the experiment, even said he needed his phone to help him study because he’s an audio learner.
“It was hard for us. We tried to bargain but when he used that trump card, that it’s for school and exams, we had no choice but to let him have access to it,” laughs Evelyn.
However, Evelyn and Darren made it clear to Jarius that he would have to admit it on the show it if he chose to break the experiment.
“I did tell him: ‘Are you ready to tell the whole world that you failed the experiment?’ and he said: ‘Yah, because I have [the reason of school] to back me up’,” recalls Evelyn, who was the one in-charge of gatekeeping the gadgets as Darren was travelling a lot for work at that time.
The couple, however, laugh that the results might have been better if Darren was the gatekeeper instead of Evelyn.
“Mum is always [up for] negotiations,” chuckles Evelyn while Darren admits it’s “easier” for him to say no.
The couple have their own set of rules when it comes to their children’s phone usage.
The kids are not allowed to use their phones at the dining table and when they are in the car together. They also can’t play games after midnight, except for certain weekends.
“But teenagers being teenagers, we set the rules and the rules are made to be broken so we will have all those conversations with them,” says Evelyn.
So which kid is the most rebellious? “I would say it’s Jarius,” laughs Darren.
While many young people wouldn’t want their parents stalking their every move on social media, what about Darren and Evelyn’s kids?
“My daughter allows me to follow her [on her socials], but we’re quite sure she has other accounts,” chuckles Darren.
Way, on the other hand, is okay with his parents following him too as he mainly posts about outdoor activities. The other two don’t have social media.
Darren, however, shares that his kids would sometimes feel a little self-conscious if he were to post pictures of them on his social media since he’s a public figure.
“If I were to take photos of them being silly, they would tell me: ‘Pa, please don’t post it okay?’,” he shares.
So what do Evelyn and Darren’s think about their kids dating, especially Kristen, whom we learn is currently single.
“We’re okay with it as long as she’s open to us about it. We do welcome her to bring her boyfriend or friends home,” says Darren.
Evelyn says they open their doors to all the friends of their children to have meals with them so they can know what’s going on in their lives.
“I think then it would not make it so awkward if she were to bring somebody special home ‘cos we might have already met the boy,” she shares.
In a recent episode of Mediacorp reality travel show Camping Around the World, the couple spoke about how Evelyn’s parents disapproved of their relationship at first.
Do Darren and Evelyn think they are the type of parents who would object to their kids’ relationships in the future?
No, as long as he and Evelyn have already met the person and have observed how they get along, says Darren.
He, however, stresses that there are certain boundaries the kids need to follow, such as no sleepovers. As for what dealbreakers there are, Evelyn and Darren say there are none as they leave it up for their kids to decide for themselves.