As a mom are you feeling responsible for your children who are spending hours in front of screens?
Is your child spending more time staring at a screen than playing outdoor? A 2016 Chatelaine survey of 1,000 women between 35 and 45 years of age revealed screen time is the No. 1 cause of mom guilt.
According to Common Sense Media’s 2017 study, (The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight 2017). Kids of age 8 and below spend, on an average, two hours per day with some sort of screen (TV, tablet, smartphone, or video game), and the older the child, the more they’re attracted towards this media.
How much screen time is too much for your child? and Why? We cannot avoid children from watching TV and restrict the media exposure. But we can set a few mandate rules in family.
Here are few “Go to Mantras” to follow this summer vacation, so that your children make the most of the holidays and you are far away from screen time mom guilt.
1. Enroll your children in age appropriate summer camps and physical activity camps near by only to shut the travel time. They will learn to socialize and will fall in discipline during vacations.
2. Limit TV time – 45 mins is good enough. It’s important to play a good role model for healthy electronics use for your children. They will do what they see, and imitate.
3. Do not give your mobiles to them just like that as they will sit quiet. Explore new apps to control clutter. As a parent; educate yourself on electronics – Today’s kids are tech-savvy, that’s why it’s essential to stay up-to-date on the latest cell phone app or the newest social media craze.
4. Keep an eye & watch the sleep patterns; children should not compromise on sleep for the internet. A strict no to screens in your child’s bedroom. It’s impossible to monitor a child’s screen media use if it’s allowed in the bedroom. Don’t allow your child to have a TV, video game system or computer in his room. Ask them what they actually learning out of it. Watch old time evergreen favorites like Tom & Jerry, Mickey Mouse etc.
5. Create “Technology-Free Zones” at home. Encourage other activities; get your child to play outside, Swimming, gardening, read a book or play a game. Establish zones in your house where you just don’t allow electronics, like smartphones and laptops. Doodle corner, art and craft are few examples. You also might consider a longer digital detox for the entire family.
6. Use Parental Controls; Protect kids from explicit content on TV and online. Use parental controls that allow you to monitor what your children are viewing on TV and what they’re doing online.
7. Talk about it every day: In an age-appropriate manner, explain how violent video games, movies, and images can be harmful to them. Also, discuss the potential dangers of online predators. Discuss how you can work together as a family to reduce potential risks.
8. Many children lack the maturity needed to handle online problems, such as cyberbullying. It’s important to really take responsibility for helping your child stay safe if he’s using social media.
Setting screen-time limits — and helping kids moderate their own habits — are all about finding the right balance for your family’s needs and lifestyle.
Put an effort and advice for creating a realistic schedule, setting age-appropriate guidelines on TV time, finding the first websites for young kids to use, handling violent media, and managing kids’ cell phone use, is all important.
Child care experts advice that, it’s really important that kids connect on a personal level to parents with what they’re watching, playing, or reading. Are they engaged? Engrossed? Maybe even enlightened? Getting into a story line or identifying about kids for more learning. You can’t stay away and you can’t live up to it, set an example for your family, and explore more fun time together.
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