With the technology evolving every day, we witness how today’s generation is all about mobiles, tablets, games and applications. From the time when kids craved for a new LEGO set to the times when a 5-year-old craves for a new tablet. Is it good or bad? The Canadian Academy of Pediatrics says, less screen time is vital for the better rearing of children. Too much screen time can affect your child’s sleep, cause behavior problems, and leaves less time for play and physical activities. It’s better to use that time instead for family activities like – book reading, museum visits, park visits, biking, dancing, or any other activity you can enjoy.

Tips to Limit Screen Time

• Apply strict rules/create a screen time schedule – According to the Canadian Academy of Pediatrics, there should be no screen activity for children below 2 and only 1 to 2 hours of screen time for older children. Encourage your children to have a systematic routine; make a schedule of day to day activities and fix the hour for screen time.If you need to, for the rest of the day, apply a parental lock on all devices.
• Unplug the screens from children room – Unplug the television in your child’s room. Instead, make their space interesting with indoor games, board games, books and other crafts. Bedtime should be consistent. That should not change because of a TV show. If your child or teen wants to see a program that airs past their bedtime, consider recording it.
• Expose them to the outdoor activities – Encourage children to play in your garden area, or enroll them in a nearby sports league. A study reported that logic games help young children activate their brain cells much faster. Look for such logic games and create a habit in your children. Other activities like dance, singing, and painting can also be the way to shrink screen time.
• The good and bad television – More screen time can cause unhealthy habits and misguide children, causing behavior problems. During active screen time, your child gets exposed to all kinds of advertisements and shows. Educate them about the strategies that advertisers use to sell products to children. Cultivate a habit of watching shows related to Sports, Wildlife, Travel, or Documentaries.

Live, Eat, Play – adopt the new way!