Setting boundaries to manage screen time for our children !

BOUNDARIES AND SCREEN TIME 13/11/23

Have you ever caught yourself counting the minutes or even hours that your child has had a screen in front of them for the day ? You aren’t alone. Screens are inevitably part of modern everyday life. From school ipads, to phones to tv, screens and technology is everywhere we look and children are often using some sort of technology/screen from a young age.

Here at Kids On Track, we often have parents asking us - how do we put some boundaries in place for screen time at home ?. Whilst every home is different and there is no one size fits all – here are some pointers to begin considering when choosing boundaries for screen use within your home.

1. An important part to screen and technology is having clear guidelines with children about the content and amount of use that is permitted. There are plenty of ways to approach this and being open, clear and consistent are imperative when having these conversations. Each day, where possible, stick to a time limit on screens and include that as part of your routine. This ensures that your child is aware of the time limits in advance so there are no surprises.

2. It can also be helpful to offer preferred activities to your child at the completion of screen time and for your child to know what is coming next before their time on the screen begins. These options may include outside play, crafts, reading a book, magnatiles, lego, etc. This takes away the focus from the screen time that is ending and serves as a distraction.

3. Another thing to consider when setting boundaries with screen time is modeling. If your child sees that you too as an adult have time without screen it demonstrates to them that as a family you are all on the same page with screen and the appropriate time to use them. This could be as simple as no screen time when you're at the dinner table. This can encourage communication about each person's day and also build a stronger relationship where you are able to talk and focus on your child's interests.

In Summary, by have expectations that are clearly communicated around screen time, you will be much better placed to be able to implement those boundaries without too much pushback. Limiting screen time is not only good for our children’s brains and their development, but it can also assist in creating stronger social connections face to face, rather than behind a screen.