NOVEMBER 2021
Hill Country
Backpack Connection
HOW TO LIMIT SCREEN TIME KIDS WELCOME GRANDPARENTS
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Screen Time & Your Kids A generation ago, parents worried about how much time was spent in front of the TV. Today, chances are pretty good that your concern for your kids extends beyond how many cartoons they’re watching. • The average 8- to 10-year-old spends nearly eight hours a day on various media • The average teenager spends more than 11 hours a day on media • 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds own cell phones • The average teenager sends 34 text messages after going to bed • In the first three months of 2011, the average teenager sent 3,364 text messages per month • 71 percent of children and teenagers have TVs in their bedrooms • 84 percent of children and teenagers have Internet access “Screen time is not just TV time,” says pediatrician Lolita McDavid, MD. “Screen time is anything electronic your children can access.” Your children may be using their screen time to text, play video games,
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watch TV shows and movies, and visit stick to it. If kids abuse it, limit access websites, chat rooms and social media to or take away cell phones, gaming deplatforms such as Facebook, Twitter, vices, TVs, or tablets. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Learn how much time your child The result? A generation of young- spends on social media and what she is sters so plugged in to electronic devic- viewing and/or posting. There are many es—cell phones, video games, comput- dangerous website and predators online. ers, and TVs—that Don’t like your they’ve tuned out the child’s activity? Pull The simple act of turning the plug or confisworld around them. our screens face down cate the device. In other words, they’re screen addicts and looking at the person Convey that —and, like most adnothing online is speaking strengthened secret. “Teenagers dictions, this one can affect your child’s don’t realize that our family dynamic. health, emotiononce you put it out al well-being, and there in that great safety. In addition to not getting enough beyond of media, it’s out of your consleep or exercise, screen addicts may have trol,” Dr. McDavid says. “Adolescents trouble forming meaningful face-to-face don’t live in the future, only in the presrelationships and can potentially “meet” ent. Parents have to help with that.” Consider installing an app that disunsavory characters online. ables cell phones while the car is running How to Reduce Screen Time because accident rates increase when Parents can, and must, help pull the drivers are texting. technology plug, Dr. McDavid says. She Remove TVs from kid’s bedrooms. offers these 10 digital detox strategies: Forbid electronic devices at Devise a family media policy and the dinner table. “If everyone’s looking at a cell phone, you’re negating the positive aspects of eating meals together,” she says. “Put your own cell phone away and listen to your kids.” Place desktop computers in the family room or other common area, so you can monitor activity. Ban cell phones at bedtime. Charge phones in the kitchen overnight, so kids don’t have access to them and can enjoy a full night’s sleep. Don’t give decked-out phones to young children because it makes them a target for thieves and puts them at risk of physical harm. If you think your child needs a cell phone, consider purchasing an inexpensive flip phone. Review the phone bill carefully to identify red flags. If necessary, limit or take away the device for a specified period.
Additionally, if your child is under age 2, screen time is a no-no. For children ages 3 to 8, limit screen time to no more than two hours a day.
A Small, Powerful Step
Kids are connected. Forever. There’s no going backward. Not all changes take a huge effort. Small changes matter. Try this one small but powerful change. Turn your phone over whenever anyone in your family enters a room or begins talking to you. The simple act of turning our screens face down and looking at the person speaking strengthened our family dynamic. Try it, you might experience some of the same results we did. The kids may stick around and talk longer. Your spouse may feel more respected. And, most importantly, you won’t miss the priceless smiles, expressions, laughter, and body language that comes with eye contact and being fully present with the people who mean the most. Another small step is agreeing to screen free zones (this includes TV) such as the dinner table, restaurants, and during family outings. Again, this one small step might open a fresh, fun family dynamic. Establishing a plan for chores, exercise, reading and waking up, puts expectations in place. To keep the tech in check, consider a tech exchange. For every hour of screen time, require your child to do something else productive. Keep it fun: Set up a reward system for completed chores.
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