Kids and Screen Time: How to Keep a Tab
Parents, sound too familiar?
“Just five more minutes — I’m almost done with this game!”
“I’m SO bored! I need to watch TV.
“Why can’t I play Fortnite?! I’ve finished all my homework, and everyone else is online!”
These days, for most families, managing screen time is an endless battle. Gone are the days of simple cable television. Now, kids have a host of endless options with the advent of streaming on TVs, tablets, and gaming consoles. Add in apps, smartphones, and a myriad of gadgets, and it can feel like the screens are always fighting for their attention.
That perfect balance in screen time somehow feels like a game of whack-a-mole. But let’s be realistic here: sometimes it is even a lifesaver - on very long road trips, those exhausting days after work. Yes, screens can be very handy tools. But how much is too much? Let’s dig deeper into the discussion at hand and into some realistic guidelines for your family.
What the Experts Say About Screen Time
What is considered ideal, in terms of screen time, largely depends upon your child’s age and developmental stage. The American Academy of Pediatrics have some guidelines to help you through this hazy terrain.
For Kids Under 18 Months
No screen time except for video chatting. For example, a call to the grandparents or checking in with a parent who’s away on a business trip. It’s just about keeping their interactions as real as possible at this age.
18 to 24 months
If you’re going to expose them to screens, use quality programs or apps. Limit the exposure to less than an hour daily. And watch it with them. Thankfully, plenty of educational shows are made for little ones, and you can search on Google Or YouTube for them.
2 to 5 years
Limit screen time to one hour per weekday and up to three hours on the weekend. Co-viewing is also important to helping them understand what they see. It is also an excellent time to start introducing classics like Sesame Street or new hits like Bluey.
6 Years and Older
Establish consistent limits on the time spent using devices and screen viewing and ensure that screen time does not interfere with adequate sleep, physical activity, and their social life.
As children grow older, their taste in television and movies will change dramatically. They will also become more interested in apps, games, and eventually social media platforms as they reach their teens.
That’s OK-it’s equally important to reward them with extra screen time when they are acting responsibly and to rein them in when things get out of hand.
How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?
We have talked about the limits recommended by pediatricians, but life is not exactly easy, and days will be there when everything tends to get hard, and your child will spend more time on the screen than usual. And that is okay. No family can be perfect.
But when excessive screen time becomes a problem, you’ll observe changes physically and emotionally. Here are some of the signs that indicate your child spends too much time in front of screens.
Crabbiness: If your child is cranky or irritable following screen time, then this might be a cue that he has to go off from it, no matter how long or short the time may seem.
Inability to Transition: Your child pouts, becomes emotional, or refuses to do something else after the device has been taken away or the TV is turned off.
Insomnia: Sleep may be disrupted due to screen time exposure before sleeping, resulting in either the inability to fall asleep or not staying asleep.
Loss of Interest in Other Activities: Since screen time is the major source of entertainment nowadays, children stop taking as much interest in other activities like playing outside, reading, and many others.
Physiological Changes: It is a fact that once indoor sedentary screen time becomes central in the life of the child, then changes will occur in blood pressure, weight, eye strain, and many other physiological changes.
Setting Screen Time Limits
It’s time to set some limits and find a healthy balance between digital entertainment and the real world. Here’s how to get started.
Fill Out a Tech Contract Together
Gather the family around the dinner table and hammer out a plan with specific screen time rules and schedules. To make it super easy, we’ve even got a free one you can download and print out!
Use Parental Controls
Implement device-based parental controls that limit your child’s access only to age-appropriate content, plus screen time usage. With Pinardin, you can get super specific with their screen time feature: block YouTube automatically after bedtime, restrict all apps during the school day, or even pause everything on their device when they need a break.
Encourage Real-World Activities
Also, encourage your child to do other things that they enjoy, like reading, going outside, and crafts. After all, for millennia kids survived without screen time; they will be just as healthy without constant screen time no matter how many times they say otherwise. Lead by Example Be a good role model by setting a good example with healthy screen time habits yourself, and doing screen-free activities with your child. We know this may be challenging, given that you are trying to juggle getting dinner ready and getting the younger kids bathed and ready for bed while trying to get in some work emails. However, set down your device during dinner if at all possible.
