Screen time

Screen time; that discussion that goes round and round in circles with people on both ends of the spectrum, with some sitting on the fence...this blog, I shall dedicate to trying to decipher screen time and what I think is the best way to 'control' it.

What is screen time? 

Well, the answer is obvious really. It literally is the time spent using a screen, from phone/tablet, to tv and computer/laptop.

When I was a child (in the Middle Ages) this wasn't an issue, even tv wasn't a problem as you had about an hour slot of kids shows. Parents never worried about screen time, and life went on..

Today though, screens are everywhere, and it's hard to ignore them. So, it seems ideal to come up with a solution that works.

Simple steps to avoid screens

Quite simply, get rid of all screens. If it's not there, it can't be used. So, if you're a firm believer that there should be zero screen time, this is probably the easiest option. Asking children not to use screens can be difficult, after all if the temptation is glaring you in the face, you will eventually fail. As adults we have more self control but children aren't as strong willed.

Simple steps to reduce screen time 

This is probably where I sit. I use the screen myself, and I find that on our home school journey we tend to use the screen for useful resources.

So, first and foremost, screen time needs to be divided into two categories

Educational 'screen time'

Leisure 'screen time'

Now, when using the screen for educational purposes you may want to divide that further into sub sections, so breaking it into subjects for instance. This way, you can plan which subject is which day and not end up with iPad day (with the iPad in use for hours on end).

If it's watching videos, it's easier to watch one video and stop. However, sometimes it's difficult to put a 'timer' on when the child is happily playing an educational app/website. If it's maths and they've just understood a concept and want to keep going, what should you do?

I believe, if you feel an hour is sufficient, but your child is 'on a roll' maybe allow them extra time for that specific activity, but, you can take that time away from the following day. This way, overall in the week, screen time will remain the same.

Now leisure 'screen time' can be a bit of a hit and miss. It might be that the child wants to play on the PS4, watch a movie and play on a few apps. So what to do? Our moto is simple. If you're watching a movie, that time has to be counted towards the overall leisure use time. So, an hour and half has been used. This means, if the overall time is 2 hours, you've got half an hour to either divide between the other two devices or play one. It is, however important to stick to boundaries when it comes to leisure, as the need isn't there for the iPad, for instance.

When kids are being absolutely funny about stopping the fun of PS4 and so on, they have the earn an extra 10 mins. How do they earn the time? Half an hour reading or maths questions etc gives you another 5 minutes and so on. This works for little person, and it becomes a bit of an obsession to work for as long as possibly to try and earn 'time'.

Screen time is anytime 

Ok so, then there's the option of, let kids have what they want when they want. I've never tried this method, as we are structured in our day with school work. However, sometimes, when the housework is drowning me, I've been relaxed and said ok...is that bad? Probably...but this is what surprises me. I can walk into the room, the tv is off, tablet put away, to find littler person reading. His simple answer is, it got boring so I wanted to read. Now that, is amazing!

Sometimes being chilled might give you good results. The children may surprise you with their attitude towards the devices, and not care about them. It doesn't always work, but because they don't have boundaries to fight they happily organise themselves.

What's right? 

I don't think there is a right answer, and this topic can go much deeper if we start looking at studies regarding screen times and the general knock on they have. So really, I am a firm believer in avoid when you can, schedule school work effectively, and throw your doors open to discover the world...on a world ever more obsessed with technology this is becoming a real challenge for parents...but remember parents, you are doing a fine job, chin up and carry on!