As a parent, I’ve had to learn how to limit my children’s screen time. It’s not easy, but it can be done. Here are some tips that have helped me with this challenge:
Start early.
Start early. It’s never too soon to set the rules for your child’s screen time and enforce them. You can’t expect your kid to give up their screens altogether, but you can set some boundaries that will help them learn healthy habits and avoid getting hooked on devices.
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Set a limit on how much time they can spend in front of a screen each day—a half hour after school, an hour before dinner, two hours on weekends, and so on—and stick to it!
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Don’t allow screens in their bedrooms (or at least keep them out of reach from bedtime). A recent study found that kids who slept with phones were more likely to have sleep problems than those who didn’t.
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And don’t let them watch any screens during homework time either—it’ll just make it harder for them to concentrate!
Ban screen time in bedrooms.
Ban screen time in bedrooms.
Whether it’s a smartphone, tablet or computer, children should be sleeping and not watching screens. If you do allow your child to have access to screens in their bedroom, set a time limit for how long they can use them (for example, half an hour before bedtime).
For more information on making this change and other ways you can limit screen time for your kids see our article about the importance of limiting screen time for children.
Set an example.
When it comes to your own screen time, be aware of the time you spend on screens. Try to limit your own screen time as much as possible, and when you do use it, use it mindfully. If you are constantly on your phone or computer, your children will look at that behavior and think it’s normal for them to do the same thing.
Set a good example for your kids by limiting how much time they spend in front of their screens too! Don’t let them watch their parents talk on their phones all day long—this sends the message that they are more important than those around them (including family members).
Stay engaged.
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Stay engaged.
Your presence is an important part of your child’s experience with screens, whether you’re watching TV or playing video games or simply browsing the web together. When you are with your child, be aware of what they’re watching and talk about it—whether it’s a cartoon on Netflix or a popular show on Hulu.
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Make sure there’s something else for them to do besides screen time when they’re not engaged in screen time activities (playing outside, reading books). If all else fails: offer your children some vegetables! Studies have shown that eating vegetables increases brain activity and improves memory skills by increasing blood flow to the brain.* Be a good role model: if possible, limit your own use of screens while also encouraging healthy habits among others who look up to you (elder siblings).
Limit choices to live TV only.
You can limit your children’s screen time by taking the following steps:
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Limit choices to live TV only. This is one of the most effective ways to cut down on screen time for young children, and there are many ways to do it. You can set up a DVR or VCR so that you can record shows, then show them at another time when there isn’t a lot of competition from other screens in the house. Another option is to use an app like TVGuide on Roku or Apple TV; these apps allow parents to set up profiles for each child with different access levels (for example, setting up “zones” for different types of content). Or you could go old school and simply turn off the television when everyone else leaves the room—this might be challenging in some households!
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Encourage active play whenever possible by providing toys that encourage movement and creativity over passive consumption of media content such as video games or movies/television shows. For example, playing “tag” instead of watching television could help get kids more exercise while also allowing them some downtime from their phones/tablets/laptops etc.* Set an example yourself by limiting your own screen time – this may seem hypocritical at first but studies show that even adults need breaks from technology too! You don’t have to completely disconnect except perhaps during meal times…but try having regular “tech-free” days where everyone puts down their devices/gadgets etc
Keep your child active.
When it comes to screen time, kids need to be active. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids get at least 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Moderate activities include walking quickly or biking on level ground, while vigorous activities are things like running or swimming laps. You can also use a pedometer to keep track of how many steps your child takes in a day—the goal is 10,000 steps each day!
When you’re planning activities for your family, think about what they’ll enjoy doing and will encourage them to move around more. Some examples include:
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Going for walks together as a family (or even better—playing tag!)
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Playing outside with friends or siblings
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Taking dance lessons (ballet classes are especially great for younger kids)
Connect with your children online.
You can also stay connected with your children online.
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Use social media as a way to stay in touch with family and friends.
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Use technology to keep in touch with your children.
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Use technology when you’re out of town on business or vacation, so that you can always check in on them and make sure they’re doing okay.
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You can use technology to keep up-to-date about what’s going on at home—visit websites that tell stories about what your child does every day, like sending notes from school or eating dinner together as a family.
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Stay connected by using messaging apps so that even if there is no internet connection available (snowstorm!), messages will still be received once the storm passes over!
Kids don’t need to watch screens all the time.
It’s not a necessity. We all know that screens can be educational, and there are a lot of great educational apps out there for kids. But when it comes to children’s screen time, it’s important to remember that technology isn’t the only way children learn and develop their skills. In fact, allowing them to play with toys and run around outside is just as effective—if not more so—than letting them use devices indoors all day long.
Children need to be active and get outside. As you probably already know, children need plenty of exercise every day in order to stay healthy and develop properly; they also need lots of fresh air so that their lungs can function at full capacity (and so they can avoid asthma). Kids who spend too much time indoors tend to become overweight or obese on account of lack of exercise or fresh air…or both!
There are many ways online communication can be used effectively with kids: video chatting through Skype is always great for connecting families who live far away from one another; shared blogs where parents post photos of their child’s latest adventures encourage parents everywhere else in the world (who might otherwise feel left out) into getting involved themselves; interactive websites like Sesame Street offer fun videos about letters/numbers/other basic concepts which will help your child begin learning how things work early on without boring him/herself by playing overly complicated games about physics or history class topics which don’t interest them yet!
Conclusion
As parents, we always want what’s best for our children. We know that screen time is one of the biggest challenges parents face today, and we hope this article will give you some ideas on how to reduce it in your home. Kids don’t need to watch screens all the time—in fact, they should be playing outside more often!