Lengthy screen time is a serious trap for kids and families to fall into. This can be said as a seductive lifestyle that can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and both mental and physical hazards. Shift screen time into other activities such as sleep, reading, homework, or active play.
Of course, most parents agree that controlling screen time is a good idea, but making it practical is a herculean task.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) previously recommended that kids under 2 not be exposed to screens at all and kids between 2 and 5 should be limited to one hour a day or less. But the organization has updated its advice to reflect the widespread use of media by kids and families allowing for screen time in certain situations.
AAP Media Recommendations
Babies up to 18 months old: Video chatting only—such as with a parent who is traveling, or a relative who lives far away
Toddlers 18 to 24 months old: High-quality programming that babies and parents view together
Preschoolers 2 to 5 years old: No more than one hour a day of high-quality programming, viewed together
Kids ages 6 and up : No specific time limit.
For kids 6 and above, parents should make consistent limits on time spent using media and the types of media consumed. Parents also should ensure media does not replace sleep and physical activity.
When developing your family’s media limits, try these methods to tame your use of screens. You need to choose selected ones that are easy to implement in your family.
Make Bedrooms Screen-Free
You can keep TVs, video game consoles, and computers in common spaces at the home instead of placing them in kids’ bedrooms. This can prevent the disappearance of your kids into their rooms for hours at a time. Do the needy arrangements to share the screen time with other family members. You should be both wise and prudent in the matter of arranging and setting the gadgets in the common spaces at your home.
You may be confused about the handling of portable devices like tablets and smartphones. Establishing a rule for them is a bit difficult way to enforce. At a minimum, require these devices to be charged overnight in common areas, not bedrooms, so they don’t interfere with kids’ sleep.
Studies indicate that overuse and late-night use of these blue-ray evoking gadgets can reduce the sleeping time and the quality of sleeping of your kids. That can affect his/her study very badly. They cannot pay attention to the class properly. Additionally, the blue light that smartphones and tablets emit tends to suppress the hormone melatonin, which helps kids feel sleepy.
Establish Limits for Certain Days or Hours
Some families find that it’s easiest to just keep screens off during set days or times. For instance, you might decide that screens are off on school days, except when needed for homework. Or you might restrict screens during certain hours.
Make your mealtimes also a screen-free hour, including the parents’ phones. Establishing rules like this keeps you from having to make day-by-day or case-by-case decisions on screen time. Once kids get over their initial resistance, they will accept this rule like any other.
Define Too Much Screen Time for Your Kids
You should be well aware of the screen-time of your kids. Define how much they need to be in front of their favorite online platform. Allot a particular time, daily one hour on weekdays and two hours on weekends is a moderate time limit. Convince them of the importance of studying and how the overuse of screen time will affect their study very badly. Inform your children of this limit and explain why you’re enforcing it
For young children, simply say that spending too much time on screens isn’t good for their brains and bodies. For older kids, you can explain that too much sedentary time is truly detrimental to their health. Determine the consequences of breaking these rules ahead of time.
Introduce Active Alternatives
Encourage kids to take walks, ride bikes, play outside, or play indoor active games instead of using their screens. Playing with them can give them great enjoyment. That will be very effective in their attitude in a better way. You might also work with them to create a list of non-screen activities they enjoy. And whenever you get time, you should join.
Require Kids to Earn Screen Time
Require kids to earn screen time by doing homework, completing household chores, practicing their musical instruments, playing outside, and so on.
Let the children do their homework at first, then allow them to spend time on TV or other devices.
Be a Role Model
Remember that what you do sends a much more powerful message than what you say. If you flip on the TV news as soon as you walk in the house in the evening or check your phone at stoplights, it’s going to be much harder to enforce rules about your child’s screen time.
When you implement the rules for your kids for using the technology, you also should obey them at first. You don’t want all of your focus on technology use to be restrictive. One study found that the best approach for parents of preschoolers is to use a combination of restrictive, instructive, and co-use approaches to facilitate their child’s growth and development.
Give Your Child Some Control
Allow your child some choice about how and when they use a screen, as long as they stay within your family guidelines about time and content. Try to avoid switching off the set in the middle of a show or shutting down their video game mid-level. Instead of doing this, you can warn them about the time ups, and prepare them mentally to be out of their world. Then let them have the opportunity to press the off button themselves. Try to not allow video games for nearly bedtime hours. That may affect their sleep very badly and may get a higher level of fatigue. This may lead to both mental and physical harm.
Let Kids Be Producers Instead of Consumers
If your child is fallen into TV, movies, or video games, encourage them to look at the other side of the screen. Let them be a creator instead of consumers. They could choreograph a dance, stage an epic or tell a fun story of their very own. Motivate them to do more in their special talents.
If you have older kids, encourage them to make a podcast or a series of informative videos. This promotes creativity and allows kids to learn new skills and leverage the power of media for their benefit. They also are building their resume for future college applications. Do not chance them always but you should supervise them in a respectable manner. Then they will also obey and respect you in the same way, sometimes more than you show.