Parents want to know: What is right amount of Screentime?
Parents always ask me for a specific number of hours. With younger kids it’s easy to recommend (following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations) to limit screen time for children under 2 to avoid media use, preschools to have no more than 1 hour of high-quality programing, and grade-schooler/ teens to not let media displace other important activities.
With remote learning and as kids get older and need to use devices for homework, research and as a socialization outlet the waters get a little murky. I would then encourage parents to instead focus on the time spent offline. Not only is this easier to calculate, it also makes it more manageable. Personally I like to encourage my kids to get at least 2 hours of outside time in everyday (and yes this includes the rain and the cold of winter). We usually make this time spent together taking the dog for a walk, playing a game of soccer/ basketball, or exploring the woods near our house. If outdoors isn’t your thing, cooking up a snack or treat in the kitchen, playing a board game, getting a workout in, or crafting could be great options for offline time. Our kids (especially once they have their own devices) may need help making a list of potential offline activities. This may seem crazy but for kids mindlessly scrolling Instagram or playing a mindless game on their phone is simple and easy. Helping them brainstorm a list of non-screen ideas gives them a jumping off point for offline time.
Some ideas for offline time may include:
- Taking a walk
- Playing a board game
- Reading a book
- Playing a board game
- Playing their favorite sport (soccer, basketball, etc.)
- Dancing to their favorite songs
- Making something (legos, beading, crafts, making a card, painting, drawing, etc.)
- Cooking something (snack, dinner prep, treat)
- Cleaning their room
- Doing a load of laundry
- Yard work (pick up sticks/ leaves. shoveling snow)
- Play a card game
- Doing a puzzle
- Creating a skit/ show with costumes (can even be videoed and sent to grandparents)
- Choreographing a dance (again can be videos and sent to grandparents— not for TikTok)
As a parent creating a screen-free time for the entire family EVERYDAY is a helpful strategy for creating offline experiences. This can be a family rule of screen-free dinners. If you find your kids are rushing through dinner to get back to their phones, then having a set time (like from 6-7pm) every day where everyone in the family (and YES THAT MEANS YOU TOO) have to put phones away. The most important part of screen-free time is that you the parent follows the rule as well to set the example for the child that offline time is important to create a healthy tech relationship. If you can’t put your phone away for an hour or during the meal, how can you expect your child to do the same?
