Note: These pages are a list of topics that parents have asked for help navigating. These are not necessarily meant to be conversations that you should have with your kid/teen, but more helpful as you navigate parenting in general. These are designed to start the conversation, not answer ever issue that might surround it. Do more research! Follow up these ideas with a conversation with another trusted parent. Our goal is to start the conversation and help point you in the right direction. The goal is not to give you all the answer!
Screen Time
Our kids live in a world that never knew what it was like not to have a touch screen or Wi-Fi and it feels impossible to keep them away from it. Research shows that excessive screen time can have several negative effects. Declined attention span, low self-esteem, poor physical health, weakened relationships, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance are examples of what scientists have found are linked to too much. The biggest recommendation to eliminate these negative effects isn’t: throwing your child’s tablet out the window or telling your teen they can’t have a phone until they’re 35. No, the biggest recommendation is MODERATION and MONITORING. You as the parent, especially if you start at an early age, can teach your young one core values as you navigate the tricky art of controlling screen time.
Screen time for kids
According to the American Association of Pediatrics, it is recommended for children two to twelve to have up to one hour of screen time a day. Because this is the first generation to grow up fully in the era of technology, managing screentime will come with trial and error. That’s okay! Practice awareness with your child. Monitor how they respond to certain games or movies and what those interactions are causing behaviorally. If you’re noticing a negative response or a difference in how your child normally acts, cut back! Setting boundaries around how often, how long, and where they can use electronics can also be a tool to moderate the amount of screen time they are consuming, teach (self) discipline, and to express what should be prioritized with our time. Setting these boundaries can also create an easier transition as your child becomes a young adult. Continue to monitor and modify their limits with screen time from an early age so that they will have this routine by the time they become a teen. Screens are becoming more and more utilized in everyday life including schools, careers, and extracurriculars. Don’t be afraid of them. Instead, let your kids understanding of how they should be used come from your teaching rather than the worlds.
Screen time for teens
Conversations with your teenager about screentime are going to be different and potentially more difficult than with younger kids. It’s not just tablet and tv, but now there are mature video games, social media, cell phones, and more. An average teen spends over 8 hours of screen time a day. The recommended amount is no more than two hours, according to the American Association of Pediatrics. Lay out what the expectation and standard is for your family so there is a protocol to hold them accountable to. Have specific spoken punishments for when standards are not upheld. This proactivity in your approach will empower you to set the standard for how your kid(s) will interact with screens. Consider no phones past a certain time, phones only in certain rooms of the house, parental controls on the internet, how you will monitor their conversations and similar rules as practical options for what you will allow in your home. Be intentional about the “why” and communicate it to them. Technology doesn’t have to be so negative or scary; we just need to be good, intentional stewards. Take advantage of the ways it can uplift our kids, grow their gifts, and teach them important values. You got this!