What is screen time?
Should I give my child screen time?
How do I manage it?
Screen time is the amount of time you and child spend watching television and using other gadgets. Like everything else, it has its pros and cons, such as picking up some new skills from Youtube, researching ideas for your kid's next school project and good quality media can help teach toddlers new songs. These are some of its positive uses; while some cons include being inactive for long periods of time, children relying on gadgets for entertainment, headaches or eye strain. To avoid these negative effects of screen time, the key is to regulate the usage of gadgets. Here we have gathered some ways on how you can manage your kid's screen time everyday!
Create a "No-gadget-zone"- Set rules inside the house. There should be a time and place where they can and cannot use their phones, tablets, etc. No phones during mealtime or in the bedroom before going to sleep.
Schedule their screen time- Anything that is too much is never good. Make sure you have schedules for their screen time and limit them to 1-2 hrs for the whole day. Timings may also be distributed throughout the day, such as a quick 5 minutes song and dance, 1 hour of online class, 30 minutes recreation, and so on. Make a routine with different activities for the day!
Use screen time to educate your kids - Screen time isn't limited to just watching television or playing games. It can be used for educational purposes as well. For older kids, it can be used as a resource to do some research for homework and for the little ones, it can be a tool to sing and dance to music. With our current situation, we are making the most out of it by finding educational activities and booking online classes for our children. For those who are looking for an interactive online class for their kid, you can book HERE!
Make them see it as a privilege- As much as gadgets and internet are readily available for our little ones, we need to make them understand that is it a privilege. It is a privilege for them to use the internet to assist them in their home work and discover new things. Using this privilege as a form of reward such as watching a movie with the whole family or games for the children after doing well in their exams might be a good system too.
Mix screen time with other activities- Kids will be kids, and they will constantly be looking for things to do! After watching a science experiment online, try recreating it with your kid! Use screen time as an opportunity to gather great ideas!