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Take Control of Screen Time in Your Home
Sometimes it is time to put a movie in, or let the kids watch a show, but many parents are now concerned that their kids don’t want to put their screens down. Parents are looking for creative ways to get their kids up and moving, but the more access kids have to different entertainment mediums the harder it can be to get them interested in more physical activities. Kids are easily distracted, but there is something about a screen that gets them hooked! While it is up to parents to determine how much screen time they want their kid to have, there are ways to make sure that kids don’t get addicted to it.
Here are four ideas to take control of the screen time in the home:
- Start with a screen routine. Some people choose to give their kids no screen time, while others are more flexible. Whatever a parent or guardian chooses to do, get them on a routine when they are young. If you only want them watching an hour of tv a day, start that habit young, so they are accustomed to the idea as they get older; it is harder to detox kids from screen time than to just build the limited expectation.
- Be selective about the kinds of programs they watch. There are some interesting statistics pointing to the idea that newer children’s shows are geared to keep them watching, lighting their brains up like a video game does. In comparison, people are finding that older shows they watched when they were growing up stimulate the kids less and have less addictive qualities. The studies are early; but exposing kids to older shows that are not high color, high energy, and loud the entire time may make it easier to train kids to shut off the device and go play a game.
- Make other activities as consistent or more consistent than screen time. Making screen time a treat and making physical activities, board games, reading, and family time a more prominent part of their routine will make screen time something that isn’t on their mind as much. If their days are built around other things to do, then when a parent or guardian says no to screen time, they can redirect them to something they know their kids will like.
- Just make the screens inaccessible. This one is pretty simple. If they can’t reach the television remote, log into the tablet or phone, or turn on the gaming device without a parent, then screen time is completely within the adult’s control.
When it is time to turn the program off and get moving, Stretch-n-Grow encourages moving and shaking to a song, stretching their bodies with some yoga, or signing up for soccer camp. What are some of your child’s favorite activities?
by Bethany Verrett
Bethany is a freelance writer and editor. Click on her name to find out more!
Click here for some crafting ideas to get your kids away from their screens!
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