Parenting in a Digital Age – Limiting Screen Time

Parenting in a digital age can be frustrating and pretty tricky at times. Constant worry about what your kids may be exposed to with one wrong click, battling them to listen whilst playing their games or limiting screen time, making sure they aren’t spending too much time staring at a screen. {sigh}

A lot of people even say that technology is harmful to our kids. What do you think? Do you think it is unhealthy for kids to use electronics? I’ve noticed that usually the people that say this are the ones who don’t understand it and literally don’t even know how to turn on a computer. I am no website developer, but I consider myself in the know (a little). Then, of course, there are those naysayers that think computers and the internet are totally evil. Um. Really? Yes computers can be used for evil, we know this, but so can most anything else, but they are also used for good. We have to teach and train the right and wrong in every area of our kid’s development. I truly believe even if we don’t like it for us and absolutely don’t want to change, we still need to at least allow our kids to.

As parents, we know that anything in excess is not healthy. Too much of anything will throw you off balance and quickly drag you down. This could include too much exercise, too much to eat, too much game time, too much television…etc. As long as all of these things are, for the most part, balanced I’m sure your kids will turn out just fine. We need to eat, exercise, and have technology in our life to attain this type of balance. If we won’t allow our kids digital time, they will soon find themselves technologically ignorant in a very thriving digital world. Unable to find a job.

Here are some ways that may help you keep your kiddos balanced and limiting screen time.

• Practice what you preach. If you want your kids to make healthy choices then you need to be modeling these same choices. Do we really need to update and check facebook all day long?
• Know what your child is watching or playing. Stay up to date on the apps and things they are into. You would be amazed the potential dangers in a seemingly harmful app.
  
• Involve yourself in any games or computer time. Take this time to train them and make it educational. I myself, have wanted to learn web design and have looked into getting some training from a few companies like Appendto. I have learned so much from running this blog that it has sparked this interest in me. This could happen for your child too. Try googling how games and apps are made and begin a training program and then teach them what you learn.
• Create “No Electronics Zones” Like the kitchen table or the couch. Make it a bit more uncomfortable to play that way they won’t want to play as long…lol.
• Establish limits, we usually keep this to about an hour or so a day on school nights and longer on weekends.
• Encourage other activities like, playing board games with them or snuggling and reading a book together.
• Limit screen time before bed so they can have a good nights sleep.

What are some ways you keep it balanced in your home? Do you set any limits?

Forest Rose

Forest Rose is a God Loving, Blessed Wife, &  Mama to 3 girls. She’s passionate about lifting moms out of the trenches that are discouraged, overwhelmed, or feeling alone or isolated. Her hope is to point them to Christ and equip them to rise up with a newfound hope and joy within, that He alone can provide. Besides blogging, she also loves to create printables!