physical play, reading, and socializing.
Setting Manageable Screen Time Rules
Reality often thwarts parents’ best intentions of limiting screen usage. Maybe you banned TV, but your preschooler spotted your iPad and learned to touch and swipe. Or maybe your second kid broke the rules you painstakingly set with your first.
As youngsters age, screen time rises. With so many new kid-focused items, parents frequently feel guilty or overwhelmed. Lisa Guernsey, coauthor of Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a World of Screens, says choosing what’s best for you, your kid, and your family is like navigating a media minefield.
Screen time restrictions may be difficult to implement for many well-meaning parents. Guernsey recommends the “three C’s” to determine screen time:
- Content: My child watches or plays what? Can they comprehend or learn from their actions?
- Context: How’s my kid’s day? Have we chatted a lot, or have they been hooked?
- Child: How does your kid react to screens? Are they full of fresh ideas and questions after screen time? Do they become impatient, agitated, or withdrawn? Why does your kid like certain media, and what does it provide them?
What Qualifies As “Educational” Screen Time?
Good games and applications for reading, arithmetic, and other abilities may help kids learn. Most educational apps are built without a curriculum or assistance from education or child development professionals. It’s hard to tell what will really teach your youngster. Tips for assessing a program or app for your child:
- Preview before playing or watching. Choose interactive videos and applications before showing them to your child. Interactive components aid learning and strategic thinking. Choose morally. Watch and play with your youngster to maximize the experience.
- Reinforce in real-time. To maximize high-quality learning games, watch your youngster and repeat lessons after screen time. Help students identify letters in books and signs after watching a letter identification video. If your kid plays a pattern-finding app, encourage them to spot patterns around your house or make a basic pattern with blocks or other toys.
- Look for well-crafted stories and games. Pay attention to “hot spots,” random clickable items unrelated to the plot or game. (Free games and applications may show your kids unpleasant and inappropriate banner adverts.) Avoid applications with distracting visuals or screen-swiping.
- Common Sense Media assesses Check out our advice for picking computer games, the greatest TV series for kids, and the most engaging apps.
Even with age-appropriate applications, games, and e-books, tablets may distract kids. Kids switch games or click aimlessly. Screens distract youngsters from reading, playing sports, arts, and socializing.
Are E-Books Just As Good As Print Books?
E-books are limited. Researchers discovered that interactive storybooks distract parents and children, making reading together less fun and enriching. When reading an e-book, kids and parents ask fewer questions and have problems following along.
Sitting alongside your youngster and discussing what’s occurring can maximize their reading experience. ( “Next? Strawberry ice cream? “) Digital books include many exciting buttons, lights, and sounds, which might distract from the content.
E-books are fine, but read conventional books to your youngster. Reading on tablets or apps:
- Treat the stories as you would in a regular book: Ask questions, make observations, and involve your child.
- Choose e-books that aren’t too distracting (don’t have too many embellishments, such as noises or flashing lights)
When Are Kids Getting Their Own Cell Phones & Tablets?
According to a BabyCenter survey, kids use phones and tablets: Nearly half of two to eight-year-olds have tablets, and 85 percent of parents let them use their phones. Many start with “kiddie” versions like the LeapPad, while others go directly to the iPad.
For safety and convenience, parents purchase their kid’s phones. According to Common Sense Media, nearly half of two to four-year-olds