Screen time for kids is a source of frustration as well as guilt for parents. Guidelines state that children are allowed a certain amount of time watching TV or playing games on their tablet (the AAP recommends that kids from ages 2 to 5 shouldn’t spend more than 1 hour a day) but it’s safe to say we exceed that limit more often than not. We’re all in this together and as much as we would like to reduce this time spent, sometimes it’s the only way to guarantee a calm moment.
I am neither advocating not condemning parents who choose to do either, but how can we limit screen time without being too strict?
Fill the bulk of your kid’s day with plenty of activities.
During school season that should be somewhat easier to do because the majority of their day is spent in class. When they come back home, have them rest and talk about their day while having a little snack, then brush up on their studies with the promise that once they are finished they can watch a cartoon or show they like for about 30 minutes. By then it would be time for bath and dinner, perhaps a bedtime story to unwind, but when that isn’t feasible and although TV isn’t ideal before heading to bed, you could allow them an extra 15 to 30 minutes.
In the summer it’s a different story. Enroll them in daily or biweekly activities, add to the mix some playground time, play dates, strolls in the park or garden, crafts and art at home and anything you can think of that would help them forget about their tablets and cell phones. When you find that you need time off to cook, shower, and work from home or maybe to have coffee in silence, brush your guilt away and put a Disney DVD that will guarantee their focus for 90 minutes. If you find that this is too long of a stretch, or you want to try this only once a week, search for educational shows on TV that teach a child the numbers, letters and much more depending on their age.
Yikes! That sure sounds like a lot of screen time when you think of it and it probably is, but the main message here isn’t to abide by the book to add up daily and weekly screen time and punish ourselves for not adhering. However it is to manage to keep the balance between social activities, sports, hobbies and shows they like to watch or games they like to play. You wouldn’t want to make their tablets addictive so stay on the lookout for warning signs such as strong tantrums when the object is taken away from them, impaired communication with others or mimicking the somewhat violent cartoon characters thinking they are to be followed.
As we have established in previous entries, there isn’t a right or wrong way to parent and is certainly is the hardest job on earth, therefore what works for one family may not for the other so make sure to keep your household’s best interest at heart!
Maria Najem
Photo: www.tabletunderbudget.com
