Screen Time isn't All Bad if You Teach Your Kids Balance
Learn how to teach your kids about screen time balance. It's all about control, monitoring, and accountability!
The mom down the road thinks you are a super-mom for feeding your kids chicken nuggets for dinner, while the mom across the street considers non-organic meals basically poison.
That mom at playgroup considers you a negligent parent for letting your kid outside without shoes, while this mom at the park is letting her three year old play a kick-ball game in the street with his big brother.
Your friend Sarah puts her kids to bed promptly at 8:15 pm each evening after a bedtime snack and nursery rhyme, as your friend Kate lets her kids fall asleep playing Fortnite on the couch each night close to midnight.
Every family is different. Every situation is unique. And every mom who loves her child is most certainly right. Nothing in parenting is one-size fits all.
This, my overwhelmed friend, is no different for the ongoing screen-time debate - IF you first teach your kids how to have life balance.
Also teach your kids how to set their own boundaries with these tips.
Screening Your Family's Screen Time
While I wholeheartedly trust expert guidelines, I think there is always more to the story when it comes to parenting. What works for one family or child, may not work for another.
To figure out your family's realistic screen time limits, there are three things you need to assess and evaluate.
Read about Screen Time Benefits Here.
1) Learn What the Experts Recommend
First and foremost, you should learn what the experts recommend. This should be your baseline guide while trying to figure out the best screen time limits for your family.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends:
- Toddlers: focus on physical playtime for babies and toddlers and only use educational media with young children 18 months and older.
- Ages 2 and 5: screen time should not exceed one hour per day and needs to involve the parent who can help their child learn from educational programs.
- Ages 6 and older: place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health.
- Ages 10-18: the CDC recommends no more than 1-2 hours of total screen time per day.
2) Screen Time Balance Depends on Your Family Dynamic
Next, when speaking about screen time balance, you need to consider the different personalities in your home.
For example, my daughter can exceed the recommended daily technology allotment with little to no impact to her personality. On the other hand, if my son goes on technology for over an hour a day he seems irritable and moody.
Consider how technology impacts each individual in your home.
If your child has a cell phone, enforce these 5 cell phone rules now.
3) Evaluate Your Current Life Situation
The sanity of your family is something that only you can judge.
Are you overwhelmed by stressful life events? Are you trying to fumble through work from home while watching your kids? Has it suddenly become your responsibility to somehow home-school multiple children?
I am one of those mothers who get washed over by a wave of mom guilt when I let my kids overuse their technology devices. With that said, life has been a little overwhelming recently for me. Allowing my children to use their screens gives me the needed time each morning to get my job done and get my life in order.
Your screen time balance and limits may change day-to-day, and that's okay!
Screen Time Balance and Rules
Now that you have figured out the best screen time limits for your family, it is time to give your kids the tools to limit screen time on their own.
This is actually very simple! Your child just needs to establish "Screen time rules" to help them set limits in life.
These rules should include three things:
- Things they should do BEFORE using screen time
- TIME of the day that they can use screen time
- Set LIMITS for when to end their screen time session
Here is an example of ours (also included below is a blank version for you to print and fill out):
Also read: Social Media Contract for Teens and Kids
Final Thoughts on Screen Time Balance for Kids
When you are trying to find the right screen time limits for your family, consider expert guidelines, your family dynamic, and your current life situation. When you include your children in the process, you can give them the tools to limit their own screen time.
Do not consider the opinions from the judgemental-mom down the street, the junk you read on Facebook, or your pushy aunt.
If you do want to limit your family's screen time try one of these two methods:
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Thanks for reminding us to set screen time limits for our children, and ensure that they get a good night's sleep crucial for problem solving.
This article is very relevant in today's world where everyone is stuck to the screen. Thanks for this reminder as people tend to get carried away.
According to the study, more parental monitoring led to less total screen time for kids and reduced exposure to media violence, which in turn led to benefits such as improved sleep, lower BMI, better school performance, improved social behavior, and reduced aggression. This is such an important topic!
well said and you have made some good points, it's important to keep a good balance of screening time and love you have listed ideas of different ages. - Knycx Journeying
Good ideas. If they're not getting positive attention from caregivers, they will get attention in negative ways, by misbehaving. Family and daily stress was also explored in the Radesky study, revealing parents felt mobile devices help 'keep kids quiet,' decrease conflict and lead to more peace and quiet in the home.
Very good ideas, very relevant to todays times. We all struggle to keep a balance of screen time for out kids especially in today's Covid situation.
I used to struggle with excessive screentime for the kids. I wasn't until to cut back on my own media consumption that the kids were able to control theirs.
This breakdown is very good and thorough.
All good ideas, but sometimes you just need to plank them infront of a tv with carttoons and snack so they leave you to drink coffee in peace 😁😁😁
Love all of these ideas!! You are so right everything is different for each house. We have to teach our kids to take a break from the screens!
Great post! Screen time should be limited. Involving kids in Educational Activities is better
Awesome tips for parents with young children! I'm very thankful my son was young when there weren't so many electronic options to occupy his time.
Indeed very helpful ! Glad to bump into your site , this is indeed very helpful for me as a first time mum .
I agree having a set time limit on screen time is important and it might be different for every household. What worked for mine was chores first without us asking or reminding and my stepdaughter would get 1 hour of uninterrupted screen time. Of course monitored by us.
We try to limit screen time for our kids. It's going to be tricky this fall when they do virtual school. Our evenings are going to be a time for tech detox.
Very helpful tips for today's times. Thanks for sharing,
Great guidelines. As you say every family is different. My child will sometimes have no screen time for days, and others he will have more than whats recommended. Its what works for our family
These are very helpful! Limiting their screen time is good especially during night time 🙂
I just bookmarked this post. Really informative. Need to share thos with my aunt. Lol