As a parent, you want to provide the best possible future for your child. However, in a world where screens are ubiquitous, it’s crucial to be mindful of your child’s screen time. The convenience of screens comes at a cost – screen addiction can have devastating effects on your child’s health and well-being. It can lead to physical, mental, and emotional health problems. Children who spend over two hours a day on screens are more likely to have an increased BMI, poor eyesight, and sleep disorders. Excessive screen time can also cause anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorders, and difficulties concentrating in school.

Here are some tips that have worked well for me in reducing my child’s screen time constructively. I hope they will help you limit screen time for your child and encourage physical activities and hobbies that promote a healthy and balanced life. Keep reading to learn more!

Establish Consistent Rules

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding digital media use in children younger than 18 to 24 months, and limiting screen use to less than 1 hour per day of high-quality programming for children ages 2 to 5 years. Parents can set rules and limits on screen time, such as no screens at mealtime or before bedtime. However, following through with these rules can be challenging. Here are some practical ways to help you achieve this:

• Set one simple rule and follow it consistently – For example, only allow one episode of a favorite cartoon during the day. Allowing your child just one favorite screen time activity for a very limited time will encourage them to follow through without much resistance.
• Try “screen-free” weekdays – Set designated “screen-free” weekdays in your household. These are the days during the week when no screens will be used, including TVs, tablets, and social media on phones. Pre-plan activities for these days so that you are able to keep your child engaged and entertained. Read on for inspiration on such activities. If you establish this as a consistent rule, children will eventually start following it as a routine.
• No screens during mealtime – Have meals at the dining table together and instead of watching TV or using a tablet during mealtime, try engaging in family discussions, playing mealtime games, or simply chatting.

Encourage Physical Activities and Outdoor Play

Encourage your children to engage in physical activities and outdoor play to reduce their screen time.

• Take up a sport and play competitively – Encourage children to participate in a sport they are interested in. It’s a fun way to build skills while avoiding screen time.
• Utilize public parks – Take your child to the park to play with their friends or make new ones. This encourages social skill-building while avoiding screen time altogether.

Set an Example

Parents should limit their own screen time and engage in family activities that do not involve screens, such as board games or outdoor sports. Children learn by watching you, so set a good example by avoiding screen time.

• Use meal times constructively – Instead of scrolling through your phone during dinner, engage in conversation with your family or play a board game together.
• Set screen time limits – Set screen time limits on your digital devices and follow them. If you follow your screen time limits, children are more likely to do the same.
• Pre-plan your evening and weekend activities – Plan ahead for your weekend and evening activities away from the couch or the TV. This increases the likelihood of following through on plans. Go for a hike or bike ride with your kids.

Promote other hobbies and interests

Encourage children to engage in other hobbies and interests such as reading books, playing musical instruments, or participating in sports.

• Utilize public libraries – Take your child to the library to choose a book they are interested in. Encourage reading different genres. Public libraries also offer a wide range of activities for kids, which enable them to develop various skills in a fun and engaging social setting. Consider enrolling them in these activities; these can be some of the most well-spent times for your child’s overall development.
• Skill-building hobbies – Enroll your child in a music or sports class. This is a fun way to build great skills and discipline while avoiding screen time.
• Gamify screen time productively – Let’s be honest… completely eliminating screen time in this day and age is impractical. Children will be exposed to screens. However, as parents, we can turn that screen time into a productive, brain-stimulating activity by curating the content that our children are exposed to. Encourage them to engage with content that imparts knowledge in a fun way, such as YouTube science videos, puzzles, etc.

Screen addiction is a serious problem that can have harmful effects on a child’s physical, mental, and emotional health. As parents and caregivers, it’s important to take steps to prevent screen addiction. This can be done by limiting screen time, encouraging physical activities, and promoting other hobbies and interests. By doing so, we can help children lead healthy and balanced lives.

Try out these tips and practice the ones that work for you. Consistency is key to long-term success in freeing your child and household from screen addiction.