21/03/2023
Step One: Have a Family Meeting to Create a Plan of Action
The first step is to talk through the decision with all family members. What is the reason you want to reduce screen time in your home? Do you want to spend more quality time with your children, avoid the negative effects, or simply just don’t feel comfortable when they look at you with zombie-like expressions after spending time on YouTube?
Get everyone involved in the discussion to stop screen time addiction. When we started to talk to my 6 year old daughter about her overuse of screen time, we realized she wasn’t feeling so great about it either.
During your discussion, make realistic goals. Some screen time is okay, and absolutely needed (in my opinion- Mama needs a break sometimes!). As mentioned above, quality educational programs can have positive effects.
If you are unsure how much screen time is acceptable, listen to the experts. In regard to daily limits, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends:
Toddlers: focus on physical playtime for babies and toddlers and only use educational media with young children 18 months and older.
Young Kids Ages 2 and 5: screen time should not exceed one hour per day and needs to involve the parent who can help their child learn from educational programs.
Ages 6 and older: place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health.
Older Children Ages 10-18: the CDC recommends no more than 1-2 hours of screen time per day for older kids
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