How much is too much screentime?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) experts, two-four-year-olds should get no more than one hour of focussed screentime (2) and they discourage screentime for children under two (3).
Reset your own expectations
One of the most difficult exercises will be to reset expectations. Reset what? Yes! Time to press the big button. Instead of worrying that with kids around, you won’t be able to cook, clean or do other household shores (hence why you put them before a screen), start rethinking. You CAN do your shores with your kids around. Let them help you and set expectations a little bit lower (yes, that little dust cloud might still be under the sofa – but hey, as long nobody sees it…).
Set an example
Time to set an example! Kids learn more from what they see than from what you say. Make meal-times screen-free times and ban all devices from bedrooms. Try only to use screens on dedicated hours of the day to set an example. Explain to your kids why they cannot watch that many cartoons anymore and at the same time, set some boundaries. Go find that single old sock and hang it on your office door. If the sock is there, kids cannot disturb. No sock: feel free to enter!
Take your time
We admit, it’s not easy to reduce screentime for kids. Every family has their own routines and learn by trial and error how to cut down screentime. Why not try to combine e.g., television programs with playing with sensory toys. Let your youngster watch one short fragment or episode of their favourite TV show but let them invent alternative endings with toys off-screen. Another tip is not to focus so much on the amount of screentime your kid is getting but focus on the quality of it. Screentime can be used to play e.g., an educational game like on SmartGamesLive or to express creativity (e.g., drawing programs), still allowing your kid to develop the needed skills.
And share the pain! Organise more rotating playdates, so that you kids learn social skills with their little friends, and so that you have a day of peace and quiet!
How do you cut down on screen time? Let us know via @smartmaxsocial!
References:
1. Madigan S, Browne D, Racine N, Mori C, Tough S. Association Between Screen Time and Children’s Performance on a Developmental Screening Test. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(3):244–250. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5056
2. Madigan S, Racine N, Tough S. Prevalence of Pre-schoolers Meeting vs Exceeding Screen Time Guidelines. JAMA Pediatr. 2020;174(1):93–95. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4495
3. WHO. To Grow Up Healthy Children need to sit less and play more. (2019). https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more
