How to Make the Most of Your Child’s Screen Time
As parents, we continually strive to limit our kids' screen time.
Screen time recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for children between the ages of 2 to 5 is no more than one hour per day and no more than two hours a day (homework excluded) for children ages 5 to 17. No screen time is recommended for kids under the age of 2.
These are suggested guidelines and some days you will follow them to a tee and other days may be more challenging. Instead of possibly feeling guilty about every moment of screen time, try using some of these five ideas to make the most of your child’s screen time.
1. Educational Online Games and Apps. PBS Kids for parents offers more than 430 online educational games and apps featuring characters kids have come to love –Daniel Tiger, Elmo, Pinkalicious and Peterrific, and the list goes on.
2. Conduct Research Before Tuning In. Check out Common Sense Media to read independent reviewers' evaluations of TV shows, movies and apps. Evaluations rate age-appropriateness, education levels, learning activities an app offers, quality of content, pacing, and difficulty level.
3. Make Virtual Connections. Screen time can be used to connect with friends and faraway family. Try having your child and their friends set up their screens in the kitchen and bake with one another or watch a movie together while texting about it. Online games can also offer genuine social connections for kids, so you may want to rethink your rules about gaming. Before your child connects online, have them watch the United States Department of Justice’s “Stay Safe at Home. Stay Safe Online” video while you watch the parent’s version and review a list of online safety tips to help you protect your children.
4. Learn a New Language While Having Fun. With The Gus On the Go! App, kids can join Gus, the friendly owl, as he travels around the world and explores languages from every corner of the globe.
5. Use Screen Time to Engage with Your Child. Ask your child regularly what programs, games, and apps they have played with during the day. When watching programming with your child, discuss what you are watching and educate them about advertising and commercials.
Lastly, it can be easy to lose sight that screen time can also be simply a form of entertainment. Snuggling with your loved ones on the couch and watching a favorite show or movie can be a well-deserved treat for the whole family to unwind at the end of a long day.
*Source: American Academy of Pediatrics,aap.org
*Source: Child Mind Institute,childmind.org
*Source: Mayo Clinic,mayoclinic.org
