Throughout most of human history, parenting has involved teaching vital life skills such as reading, cooking, social interactions, and developing good character. Children often pick up these skills naturally by observing their parents daily as they grow.
However, over the past decade, a new task has emerged for our digital generation: demonstrating healthy screen time habits. With phones and devices becoming integral to our lives, it’s essential for children to learn how to use them responsibly and healthily. The most effective way for parents to teach these values is by modeling good behavior themselves as well as using screen-limited devices like kids smart watch.
In this post, we’ll share some practical tips on how to model healthy screen time habits for your kids.
Determining Healthy Screen Time
The amount of screen time that’s considered healthy can vary based on several factors, such as your child’s age, your family’s schedule, and whether it’s a regular school week or vacation. Generally, less screen time is better, but occasional exceptions are fine and not a cause for concern.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers thefollowing guidelines by age:
- Toddlers: Aim to keep screen time under one hour per day.
- Children aged 2 to 5: Limit screen time to one hour per day (up to three hours on weekends) of high-quality content. Watching together can help them understand what they’re seeing.
- Children aged 6 and older: Establish consistent limits on screen time, ensuring it doesn’t interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions. As children grow, screens become more necessary for communication, schoolwork, and other tasks.
How Parents Can Model Healthy Screen Time Habits
Limit Your Own Phone Use
This can be challenging, especially if you have a demanding job, but there are ways to show your child that your life isn’t dominated by your phone.
- Avoid constantly holding your phone.
- Don’t reach for it during every quiet moment, such as during commercials or while waiting in line.
- When your child asks a question, set your phone aside and make eye contact as you respond.
- Turn off non-essential notifications to reduce distractions.
Create Sacred, Tech-Free Times
Designate specific times each day when everyone puts away their phones. Dinner time, the hour before bed, or during the commute to school are great opportunities for uninterrupted family time and meaningful conversations.
Balance Digital and Real-Life Activities
While screens are an important part of modern life, it’s crucial to engage in non-digital activities. Show your kids the value of hobbies and activities like reading, exercising, gardening, playing sports, volunteering, or any other interests you enjoy. These activities highlight the importance of a balanced life.
Establish Tech-Free Zones
Consider creating areas in your home where screens are not allowed, such as bedrooms or bathrooms. You can also set rules like no devices in the living room during movie night to encourage more intentional family time.
Need Help with Screen Time Limits? myFirst Is Here for You
Discussing healthy screen time habits is one thing, butputting them into practice can be challenging. Fortunately, myFirst offers tools to help.
Our comprehensive screen time controls are effective and customizable. Different times of day call for different rules, which is crucial for maintaining healthy habits.
The myFirst Circle features go beyond screen time management. You can track locations, block websites and apps, and our content monitoring system enhances online safety.
Visit our smartwatch collection to learn more about the myFirst Smart Watches, designed with parental controls in mind. It includes featureslike contact approvals and daily time limits. Say goodbye to stress and hello to healthy screen time habits.
Sources:
Healthy Screen Habits Nationwide
NIH: Digital media: Promoting healthy screen use in school-aged children and adolescents
