How to Build Stronger Bonds With Your Children (No Screens Required)

Today I reached 1,946 consecutive days. I was joined on the road by my eldest son, which is a regular occurrence on Sundays. As I ran, I found myself reflecting on the unique relationship that forms when you strip away the digital noise and just move.

What I realised is that in our current world, children are constantly dominated and distracted by screens, social media, and endless notifications. Getting absolute quality time is significantly harder than it was when I was growing up. The lesson for me was that we, as parents, must be intentional about creating spaces where those distractions cannot follow.

For my son and me, that space is the run. We spend the time chatting; sometimes we debate things and it gets a little heated, but because we are out in nature with no screens, we have the ability to truly focus on each other. We often use this time to go over his football performance from the day before, providing a feedback loop that helps him improve while strengthening our connection.

Perspective matters because your children might not always want to do what you do. My other two children don’t enjoy running, so I’ve had to find other mutual interests to build those bonds. This weekend, for my youngest son's birthday, it meant sitting down together to build models, no screens, just conversation. It doesn't matter what the activity is, as long as it is consistent and one-to-one.

This daily discipline is the same thread that runs through my larger mission. I am attempting the ultimate ultramarathon: running the distance of a lap of the world, 40,075km, on consecutive days, barefoot-style. The goal is to raise £1M to save children's lives. To date, I have completed 1,946 days and roughly 14,357km, leaving me with 25,718km to go.

If you believe in consistency and resilience, whether in parenting or in life, I invite you to follow this journey. Every bit of awareness helps us reach that £1M goal for the children.