Some parents are totally against screen time for their toddlers while some feel it’s OK as long as kids are watching appropriate content. As the Social Media is taking over our lives, it is practically impossible to keep ourselves or our kids 100% away from screens, whether it be TV, Laptop / Tabs or mobiles. But it is also very important to regulate the screen time, not just in terms of time but also content & habits to make sure you set the tone right in the very beginning about screen time.
So, how much TV time is appropriate for our toddlers? American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that for babies till 18 months of age, screen time should ideally be zero. For kids above 18 months of age, the screen time should be limited to an hour a day. Too much of Television or internet videos watching can result in lack of language development, social & emotional development & weight issues in kids. But just setting a limit on the screen time is not enough. It is also important to make sure that kids watch high quality & appropriate stuff along with toddlers. Here are some points for parents to keep in mind to make sure to build healthy screen time habits in their children.
- Set a time limit & stick to the time limit. Give them choices of what all they can watch & let them choose.
- Set the rules right away. By the age of 2 kids are grown enough to understand boundaries & rules & to follow them if there is a consistency in the rules.
- Watch only specific content. Do not just switch the TV or Youtube on & let kids watch whatever is playing. Downloading specific shows & watching them beforehand can be a good idea. Kids will not mind repetition in shows & rhymes on daily basis.
- Don’t let screen time become passive screen watching for kids. Make it interactive. Choose slow shows that give kids time to think & absorb the content & keep talking to them, asking questions to them in between about the show / content.
- Try to help them to connect the content to real world & how they can learn from these shows rather than just watching them.
- Make screen time a privilege. This will also help you in developing other good habits in kids such as self-feeding, following schedules, being independent etc.
- Give them Face time or Skype time with family & relatives as a part of screen time. This will encourage two way communications as compared to passive TV watching & help in language & speech development.
- Get kids pretend play phones & interactive tabs to replace screens on alternate basis.
- Alternate between animated shows, informative shows & regular kids content. You can also show them their own childhood videos or family videos as a part of screen time.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, Be a role model. If kids see other family members getting limitless access to screens while only their screen time is limited, they might rebel. Fix a media schedule for yourself also & stick to it.
— Shallu Sharma Rathod —
EECE Expert, ProEves