Children and Screen Time

Strike a balance in your family between television time and time reserved for other activities.

I admit that sometimes I use the television as a babysitter in my house. When I am sick, am trying to juggle too many things at once or otherwise need a break, I get lax on my screen time rules for my kids.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of TV time a day for children. This doesn’t even count screen time accumulated by the computer or playing on gaming systems.

Whether you believe that too much screen time is detrimental to kid’s health or not, most people will agree that kids need to spend time pursuing other activities.

It can be hard for some families to find a balance between just enough screen time and too much. When I realize that my kids are glued to a screen of some sort or another, I generally take steps to decrease the amount of time they are being passively entertained.

While I’m not a fanatic about avoiding screen time, I have found it easier to encourage other activities rather than limit screen time. I’ve developed the habit of not turning the TV on in the morning until it’s asked for. Most of the time, my kids will gravitate towards the LEGOs or other toys before they ask for the television. I also encourage lots of outdoor time and am not opposed to pulling out a messy activity if my kids are too engrossed in the television and computer.

Each family needs to decide how they feel about television, electronic games and computer time. Find ways to cut back if the amount of time spent in front of a screen seems excessive.

For ideas on environmentally friendly activities for kids that will also get them away from the television read The Environment & Holistic Living.