Screen time. Has it become an issue in your home?
Does your child regularly ask for a screen (such as the TV, mobile phone or tablet)? Perhaps you have unintentionally slipped into bad habits around screen time without realising, and you aren’t sure of what to do to break the cycle.
Don’t panic! Screen time is a really common concern for parents and it can be really difficult to know how much time to allow your child to spend watching TV, playing games on an iPad or tablet and using screens in general.
Is screen time always bad?
No. Although screen time has a bad reputation and many parents feel guilty admitting that their child spends time on a screen, it’s not always a bad thing.
Almost everything is slowly moving online and your children are going to live in a very different world to the one that you grew up in. They are most likely already used to seeing faces on a screen in a video call or playing a game on an iPad which requires them to swipe the touch screen or press a button.
Education settings are increasingly using iPads and laptops for children to work on and there’s no denying that technology is going to be essential in your child’s life. The work place that they encounter will almost certainly feature screens and screen time – so it’s clear that they need to be familiar with them and how they work.
Questions to ask yourself when your child is on a screen
When your child is spending time on a screen, it’s helpful to ask yourself some of the following questions:
- Are they learning a new skill, language or facts that are age appropriate and engaging?
- Are they making connections by speaking to a family member, caregiver or friends?
- Is the screen time helping them to communicate their needs and emotions?
- Is the content that they are watching of a high quality and created for their age range?
- How long have they spent on the screen and how much of their day does this represent?
Questions such as these will help parents and caregivers to decide whether the screen time that they’re giving their child is productive or whether it should be either avoided completely or limited to a short amount of time.
How much time should my child spend on a screen each day?
Again, this question doesn’t have a direct answer and there may be exceptions to any rules. Any example may be when your child is ill or tired, they may spend more time than usual watching a program that they enjoy.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, many baby and toddler groups were forced to go online and as a result, your child may have experienced higher levels of screen time than they would otherwise in their lives.
As a guide however, you could follow the guidelines below:
- Babies – they should not have any screen time besides seeing friends and family on short video calls as and when necessary.
- Toddlers – as mentioned, if there are educational baby and toddler groups or specific family video calls that require your toddler to have screen time, that’s fine. Otherwise it should be avoided as much as possible.
- 2-5 year olds – it’s generally recommended that children under 5 should have no more than 1 hour of screen time a day. Any screen time that they have should be strictly monitored and if they are watching TV, it’s important to make sure they’re watching high quality content that has been designed for their age and development stage.
It’s really important to try to avoid screen time before your child goes to bed to avoid overstimulation and to encourage good sleep practices.
Teaching children how to monitor and limit their time on screens and explaining the reasons why it can be damaging can be really helpful in avoiding battles with your child.
Some older children like the idea of having a timer that they can view to tell them when they need to stop their screen time rather than simply being interrupted by the parent or caregiver.
What can I do if I think my child is having too much screen time?
If you’re worried about the amount of time that your child is spending on a screen, you might want to think about some healthy alternatives to offer them.
- Many parents and caregivers like to offer their child screens at a restaurant or if they are travelling. This is entirely understandable especially on long journeys. If you are in a stressful situation such as on an aeroplane, you may want to accept that your child will have more screen time than normal – but talk to them very specifically about the fact that this is only due to travelling and that you’ll be back to normal limits after the journey.
- Try to pack some colouring books, pencils or stickers in your bag as well as an iPad or tablet, and set clear boundaries with your child as to how much screen time they’ll be allowed. By offering them an alternative once their screen time is up, they will be quickly distracted and move on to the next task.
- Get outside for a walk, bike ride or simply play in the backyard. Taking your child outdoors will instantly expose them to fresh air which is far healthier than sitting inside watching a screen. Encourage them to look around at nature as an interesting alternative to the virtual world they’ve been experiencing.
- Don’t be afraid to limit your child’s screen time. You may feel as though you’re being unfair by not allowing them extra time watching a program or playing a game, but it’s your role to set them up with healthy habits for life.
- Be a role model. It’s often tough for children to understand why they can’t have 24/7 access to screens when adults spend so much time on their phones or tablets. Try to model behaviour around screen time that you want your child to follow. If you show an interest in reading books, doing exercise or getting outdoors it’s likely that your child will do the same.
Screen time can be a challenging topic for parents and caregivers. While there’s no definitive answer to how much screen time is too much, it’s important to monitor your child’s screen time and ask yourself questions about its quality and duration. Remember that not all screen time is bad, and technology will continue to play a big role in your child’s life.
However, it’s important to encourage healthy habits and offer alternatives to screen time such as outdoor activities or creative play. Ultimately, as a role model, it’s important to show your child healthy behaviours around screen time and set them up with good habits for life.
