Setting Screen Time Guidelines for Kids & 5 Tips

Introduction

Screen time, which refers to the time spent using electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, and video games, can have both positive and negative impacts on children’s development and well-being. It is important for parents and caregivers to find a healthy balance to ensure that screen time has a positive influence on children’s lives. 

Spending too much time on screens may reduce the time available for other activities, including homework, reading, and studying, potentially affecting academic performance. Over-reliance on screens may hinder the development of social skills and emotional intelligence that come from face-to-face interactions. Excessive screen time can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which is linked to various health issues such as obesity, cardiovascular problems, and poor posture.

Constant exposure to screens can lead to addictive behaviour and a decreased ability to engage in activities that do not involve screens.

Setting screen time guidelines for kids is important to ensure a healthy balance between technology use and other activities. Here are five tips to help you establish effective screen time limits for children:

1. Define Clear Rules and Expectations

   – Clearly communicate the rules and expectations regarding screen time to your children. Explain why balanced screen time is important for their overall well-being.

   – Set specific limits for different types of screens, such as television, computers, tablets, and smartphones.

Establishing rules like this keep you from having to make day-by-day or case-by-case decisions on screen time. Once kids get over their initial resistance, they will accept this rule like any other.

You also can use technology to fight technology, with tools such as router plug-ins, cable and phone settings, and parental control apps. These allow you to decide when and for how long your family’s devices are online, and what they can access.

2. Age-Appropriate Limits

   – Consider age-appropriate guidelines recommended by reputable sources, such as the American Academy of Paediatrics. Younger children generally require less screen time than older ones.

   – For example, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children aged 2 to 5 years should have no more than one hour of screen time per day, focusing on high-quality educational content.

Customize your screen-limiting strategies to your child’s age. For preschoolers, offer distractions. If you typically let your child play on a tablet while you shower or prepare dinner, find an activity they can do alongside you instead, like colouring with washable crayons on the outside of the tub, or tearing up lettuce for a salad.

For school-aged kids, make screen time a privilege that they earn and plan playdates so they can’t complain of “nothing to do.” For teens, reserve your right to remove access to cell phones and the Internet if grades slip or household duties go undone.

3. Create a Schedule

   – Establish a daily or weekly schedule that includes designated times for screen use, homework, physical activity, family time, and other activities.

   – Consistency is key. Having a structured routine helps children understand when it’s appropriate to use screens and when it’s time for other activities.

Require kids to earn screen time by doing homework completing household chores practicing their musical instrument, playing outside, and so on. There are many ways to set this up. You might offer tickets or plastic chips that they must cash in when they watch TV or play online, for example.

Or you can have them keep track of time spent on chores, and allow the same amount of screen time. Another option is to simply rule that homework always comes first, and then any time left over can be spent on TV or other devices. Set an upper limit on that leftover time, though.

4. Promote Balanced Activities

   – Encourage a variety of activities beyond screens, such as outdoor play, reading, arts and crafts, hobbies, and spending time with friends and family.

   – Offer alternatives to screen time that are engaging and enjoyable, helping children develop diverse interests.

Encourage kids to take walks, ride bikes, play outside, or play indoor active games instead of using their screens. Playing with them is often a big draw. You might also work with them to create a list of non-screen activities they enjoy.

Refer to this list when they have had too much screen time. Health and parenting experts recommend that parents take an active role in making sure that physical activity is part of a child’s daily routine. They also stress that extended periods of sitting should be broken up every 30 to 60 minutes by standing and stretching.

5. Lead by Example

   – Model healthy screen time behaviour yourself. Children are more likely to follow guidelines if they see adults practicing balanced technology use.

   – Engage in screen-free activities as a family, such as board games, cooking, or outdoor adventures.

Remember that what you do sends a much more powerful message than what you say. If you flip on the TV news as soon as you walk in the house in the evening or check your phone at stoplights, it’s going to be much harder to enforce rules about your child’s screen time. 

Think about how you want your child to interact with technology and then model that in your own life. You don’t want all of your focus on technology use to be restrictive. One study found that the best approach for parents of preschoolers is to use a combination of restrictive, instructive, and co-use approaches to facilitate their child’s growth and development.

Conclusion

We live in a digital world, but monitoring screen time is still an important issue. Too much screen time for kids—especially at a young age—cuts into time needed for playing, physical activity, reading, homework, and more.

Remember that each family is unique, and your screen time guidelines should be tailored to your values, routines, and children’s individual needs. Regularly review and adjust the guidelines as your children grow and their interests evolve. The goal is to strike a healthy balance that allows children to benefit from technology while also engaging in a wide range of enriching activities.