From everything I've read about screen time and taking into account my own personal experience it's that everything in moderation comment again. Sorry, not sorry if I'm starting to sound like a broken record.
Children
Every kid is different. My daughter would be a screen junky if I'm not super careful and totally diligent. Her TV and Tablet time is built into her schedule. She knows when it starts and when it ends.
When we break these rules she goes nuts. "More more more more". Total temper-tantrum melt down. This goes for any screen time, not just tv.
Parents
This really depends on you. Are you a SAHM? A WFHM? A Working Momma? If you need to get an email out, catch up on social media, or watch that YouTube DIY video, save it for when they're on schedule
with their screen time for you to catch up on yours. I'm a WFHM and come 4PM when I take over for the nanny, I leave all my tech in
my office except my Apple Watch. The minute I'm distracted they are just at me and then we all end up frustrated. So I just take the distracting tech culprit out of the equation.
Whatever Your Rules Are Stick To Them and Be Consistent
My pediatrician said something so profound that I take it with me everywhere. Toddlers need two things, "Forecasting and Familiarity". Familiar
is the schedule. Knowing when things are happening and in what order. Forecasting is for when one thing ends for another to begin or a change in the schedule. "5 more minutes then TV off. 2 more minutes then TV off. Okay
TV off." It also helps if the TV ends when you want it to so it's a natural easy break. Find short educational things. Sara and Duck runs on 8 minute increments. Word Part is 15 minutes.
Out and About Personal Preference, But We Find It Works
The kids never have screens when we're out of the house. It doesn't line up with the screen schedule because our out and about trips are sporadic
and normally unplanned. My husband is great at keeping them engaged with us. Talking to them, having them point things out to us, telling us about their day. This doesn't mean trying to get things done is easy. We were in
IKEA trying to make a single decision and the kids were just done. Screens would have been the perfect deterrent, but in the long run they would have demanded it for the next trip and every trip after. While tech may have
been the answer in retrospect the real problem was they were done and we still hadn't made a decision because we were too busy seeing things we didn't actual come for. We should have headed straight to the thing we came for,
picked one, and went from there.
Sports Families
The nice thing about sports is that it doesn't have to be "passive". It's a very social event where lots of people gather. Have your kid sit with you and ask them questions. I bet they
could study and repeat all the players back to you by the end of the season. You could teach them numbers based on the jerseys and colors based on the teams they're playing. Sundays would be a day they come to treasure because
of the family time and social engagement it brings. I know I did.
|
|
