How to Help Your Child Have a Healthy Relationship with Screens

You can’t avoid screens nowadays, and it’s no different for children. As we live in a digital age, children will and should be exposed to screens, but it’s important that this is done in a healthy way. Developing healthy screen habits from a young age will help them to have healthy habits as an adult. Helping your child can also help you to reduce your screentime too!

The Impact of Too Much Screen Time

Although you can’t avoid screentime, it’s important to be aware of the dangers of too much screentime for children. Just like with adults, being engaged in a screen can reduce engagement in their environment and what’s going on around them. But there are risks associated with too much screen time as well:

• Future Health Issues: An unhealthy relationship with screens as a child will set them up for an unhealthy relationship with screens as an adult. This can lead to future health problems such as sleep problems and obesity. It’s also important to note that some games or apps encourage negative behavioural loops, such as addictive patterns.
• Delays in Development: Too much screen time at an early age can lead to delays in your child’s development. Passive screentime will not be helping your child to learn or develop, and so they may fall behind.
• Lack of Attention: Studies have shown that exposure to screens leads to a reduction in focused attention in toddlers. Focused attention is important for developing executive function abilities in later childhood.
• Language Issues: There has also been research that shows more screentime can cause issues with language skills.

The Benefits of Letting Children Have Screen Time

It’s important to remember that not all screen time is created equally. There is “passive” screentime and “active” screentime. Passive is simply watching something; active is where children are using screens to develop. If you allow your little one to have screen time, it’s important that they have access to appropriate screen uses. If you allow them active screen time appropriate to their age and for appropriate amounts of time, there are benefits to this:

• Learning Tech Skills: Screens and technology are ubiquitous in modern life, so it’s important your little one has confidence and experience using technology. Letting your child use screens will help them be confident with technologies as they grow, setting them up to navigate the digital world.
• Supporting Language and Literacy Skills: There are plenty of apps that can be used to help support your little one in developing their language and literacy skills. There are apps that can help children learn to read, and they can be exposed to different languages and dialects when using apps. Research has shown that quality screentime is positively associated with child language skills.
• Develop Motor Skills: Certain games and apps can support hand-to-eye coordination and fine motor skills. So long as you allow your child to play the correct games, they can hone their motor skills with screens.

How Much Screen Time is Too Much?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the following screen time by age:

• Under 1 Year Old: No screen time
• 1-2 Years: Sedentary (sat still) screen time is not recommended
• 2-4 Years: Maximum of 1 hour sedentary screen time a day, though “less is better”

Remember, with the above guidance, all children are different, and not all screen time is equal. So, it’s important to find what works best for your child. It’s also important that you supervise any screen time and ensure parental controls are on.

Signs of Too Much Screen Time in Children

If you do allow your little one screen time, it’s important that you keep an eye on not only their screen usage and what they are doing but also look out for signs of too much screen time. Some signs of too much screen time in children include:

Overstimulation that can be seen as:

• Aggression
• Inability to sit still
• Crying
• Meltdowns

Physical signs include:

• Blurry eyes
• Headaches
• Sleep issues
•  Weight gain
• Preferring screen time to other activities
• Reacting badly to no screen time or being anxious when they are not using their device

Tips for Managing Screen Time with Children

Screen time can’t necessarily be completely avoided (but should for very young children) and can actually have benefits if used correctly and appropriately, but to ensure a healthy relationship with screens, managing your little one’s time using a screen is key. Ensure they are using screen time in a healthy way and that they don’t get too much screen time with the following tips:

Set Boundaries

As a family, set rules and boundaries around screen time. Allow your child to be involved with setting the boundaries, and ensure they understand why the boundaries are set to encourage them to follow the rules.

When setting boundaries, it’s important to ensure they meet the needs of each child. Base the rules around their interests and how screen time can complement what they do offline. For younger children, prioritise face-to-face interactions and apps that encourage play to support development.

You could set a screen schedule so that screens are only allowed at certain times. Use alarms and timers to ensure the times are adhered to.

Lead by Example

Do you often find yourself checking your phone and so not giving full attention to the world around you? Chances are your child has noticed too. And children will mimic the behaviour of their parents or caregivers. Reducing your own screen time will have a big impact on your child’s screen habits.

When you want to set clear boundaries, it’s important you lead by example. When you play with them, put your phone somewhere so you won’t be tempted to check it, such as in another room. When you go to bed at night, don’t take your phone. Don’t get your phone out when you’re eating a meal at the table. All these little changes will help your child to follow by example and have a healthy relationship with screens in the future.

Encourage Play Without Screens

Although screens can be useful educational aids, that is all they should be: aids. You can still help them learn digital skills with our electronic toys range.

There are plenty of other ways children can and should learn. Encourage your little one to play with other age-appropriate educational toys, as well as general games. If you get involved and join in the play, it helps to engage your little one in screen-free play.

Set Up Screen-Free Areas

Having areas in the home that are screen-free will help your child develop a healthy relationship with screens and encourage improved family interactions.

Designate important family or health areas to be screen-free. Bedrooms, the table at mealtimes, etc., should be screen-free to encourage healthy habits.

Use Screens Appropriately

An important part of managing screen time correctly is to ensure your little one is using appropriate screens. For instance, active screen time will always be better than passive. Also, ensure they are using age-appropriate apps and that parental controls are in place.

Another part of this is to ensure you enforce all the boundaries that have been set up. Also, avoid using a screen to settle your little one, as it won’t help in the long run. Instead, let them use appropriate devices at appropriate times.

Screen Time and Children

When it comes to children and screen time, it’s important that they are introduced to the digital world in an age-appropriate way. It’s also important to prioritise active screen time rather than sedentary and passive.

Balance is key when your little one is introduced to screens. They are a fact of life nowadays, so they can’t be completely avoided. But if you help them to find the balance and encourage them to have screen-free play, you are setting them up to have healthy habits in the future. But it’s also important to remember that every child is different; some may find games on apps more useful than other educational games. So, find the correct balance for each child.

For more parenting tips and fun activities, head to our Childhood Adventures Blog.

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