Kids are spending more time on their screens than ever before. With the global pandemic, screen time has helped calm down fears and anxieties in many kids. And while it’s a great way to entertain kids or keep them distracted, a lot of parents are concerned that they might be spending too much time online. If you want to improve that situation, here are some tips on how to approach this.
Teach Them to Manage Screen Time
Screen time isn’t necessarily bad in itself. Give the world that the kids will grow up in, they’ll always have screens at their disposal. Just enrolling your child into the best preschool in Noida means that s/he’ll have those resources at all times. If you only focus on limiting screen time, that could lead to unhealthy habits in the future. Meaning, they could end up wanting to indulge in as much as screen time as possible because that’s something they never got to do as kids. That won’t have a very helpful impact on the children. What you can do, instead, is help them manage screen time so they’ll grow up with better and much more productive habits around it.
Agree on What Screen Time is
Before you get started, you’ll want to agree on your definition of what screen time is. It’s basically using anything with a screen which includes mobile phones, tablets, video games, the TV, and computers. Make this clear to your preschooler when you explain the new screen time rules. It’s good that you’re on the same page to prevent any confusion. However, emphasize the point that if your child is confused at any other time, encourage your little one to ask questions.
The Activities Make a Difference
It’s important to note that while spending a lot of time onscreen isn’t bad in itself. The activities that they do online make such a huge difference on whether prolonged screen time is good or bad for them. What you want, then, is to encourage active screen time instead of passive screen time. What’s the difference?
What is Passive Screen Time?
Passive screen time includes watching TV or videos on YouTube. If your child is spending hours a day scrolling through social media or playing games that don’t involve cognitive activities, then that’s not going to help with the growth and development of your child. You’ll need to limit that kind of screen time.
What is Active Screen Time?
This is screen time that engages your child’s cognitive faculties. Completing homework on a computer is one example. Playing games that improve your child’s cognitive development, too, falls under this category. You’ll want to encourage these kinds of screen time instead. If your child is interacting with the content or learning something from the activity, if it challenges your child’s mindset or abilities, then those activities are good and can help your child’s learning. Some apps, for instance, are ideal for supporting many of your child’s lessons at school.
Find out how screen time can improve your little one’s development. Consider apps and online activities with care.
