Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
We’re constantly being told that kids are watching too much TV or having too much screen time. It can affect their overall development, and social skills and lead to the health problems that come with a sedentary lifestyle.
But screen time isn’t all bad and in today’s world, children need to be familiar with accessing resources on tablets and computers. During the pandemic, many children completed their lessons on virtual platforms and this is becoming a very popular way to learn.
Striking a healthy balance is difficult when you’re in a busy family, but these tips might help you make screen time more educational and fun.
Limit Passive Screen Time
Most of us have fantastic memories of our favorite films and TV shows we watched as kids. But this type of screen time is known as passive, meaning that children are really learning of developing from it, it doesn’t activate the same areas of the brain that things like reading or interactive learning do. It’s a good idea to limit this type of screen time so it’s not the dominant hobby of your child.
Make It Educational
A child’s brain is built to learn. They love it. So nurturing this should be a priority. Find online interactive educational platforms that you can use. One that’s particularly popular is ABCmouse, that you can take advantage of a free trial to see if it suits your child.
TV production companies have also realized that parents want more educational content in their programming, so there are many TV shows that are designed to teach children and get them to join in at home.
Incorporate Movement Where Possible
As a society, we’re getting bigger and this is starting earlier in life. Sedentary lifestyles in children can cause all sorts of physical and mental psychological conditions that could affect them for the rest of their lives. While playing and outdoor exercise should be encouraged as much as possible, there are also ways to mix screen time with movement. Watch programs that kids can dance or move along with, or instead of letting them game sitting down, buy some games that require them to move around in order to play them.
Get Involved
Rather than just leaving your kids to watch things, sit down with them and watch it do. Discuss what’s going on, ask them questions, and talk about the subjects that are on the screen. Not only is it a great way to spend quality time with your child, but it will also help them to develop their speech and language skills as they learn to talk about what they are seeing and communicate it to you.
Takeaways
Kids and screen time is often in the press for all the wrong reasons. While it can become a problem if children are constantly watching screens rather than doing other activities, there are ways to change this and make what screen time they do have as educational as possible for them.
