Perhaps Black Tie Moving just delivered your furniture, and you notice your child has been on their tablet nearly all morning. It’s hard to see the consequences of too much screen time for children until it’s too late. Yet, there are actions you can take right now to help your child limit their media use.
Here are 4 ways to limit screen time for your child.
Set a Time Limit
While some screen time is safe for children, you want to make sure that it’s limited. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that you limit your child’s media use to under 2 hours a day. While it may be convenient for you to hand your child the iPad when they are acting restless, you want to make sure you moderate this for yourself as well.
Setting a time limit can help ensure that your child isn’t engaging in too much screen time. Following the 2-hour rule, come up with a reasonable plan for when your kid will be allowed to use their electronics. This could be one hour each morning and one hour in the evening. Find what works best for you and your child and be consistent with their screen time schedules.
Encourage Their Creativity
There are plenty of educational resources available online. Yet, this doesn’t necessarily promote a child’s individual curiosity or creativity. In essence, the more information a child is fed through a screen, the less they are trying to figure out themselves. This provides a setback in a child forming their personal identity.
As a parent, work to encourage your child’s creativity outside of their tablet. You can paint with them, write stories, or sign them up for music lessons. Figure out which creative activity your child seems to enjoy and motivate them to practice it daily.
Spend Time Outside
Research has shown that American children spend a mere 30 minutes a day outside compared to seven hours engaged in screen time. This statistic is startling. It’s now more important than ever to make sure your child spends more time outside and less time on their devices.
Spending time in nature allows your child to be creative, become familiar with their surroundings, and engage in healthy play. The health benefits are astounding when it comes to your child playing outside. Even playing in dirt can help a child’s immune system and heart health – along with increasing happiness and learning ability.
Consider Sports and Physical Activity
Too much screen time has been linked to obesity in children. This could easily be attributed to children being less physically active and overconsuming snacks while they watch their favorite TV cartoon. Less screen time will help them to not be at risk for obesity, but it’s also important that you encourage your child to be physically active.
Sports and playground activities are a great way to teach your children the importance of being active. Both experiences allow your child to have fun while also learning to enjoy exercise and moving their bodies. It’s best to teach your child, at a young age, the benefits and joy that can be had while being active.