Great Tips For Limiting Your Child’s Screen Time
Occupying a child’s free time with educational activities is important. One of the biggest mistakes a parent can make is allowing a young child to have unlimited access to electronic devices. While these devices can be helpful in moderation, they can also stunt a child's emotional and social growth.
Studies show that the average American child spends up to four hours a day on electronic devices. If you feel like your child is spending too much time on electronics, now is the time to take action. Setting screen time limits for a child can be difficult. Read below for some great tips on how to make limiting a child’s screen time easier.
Implement a Screen-Free Bedroom Design
A cozy and well-decorated bedroom is something most children love. As you decorate your child’s room, think about the screens they have access to. Putting things like laptops, televisions and tablets in a child’s bedroom is usually a bad idea. Having unfettered access to these electronic devices can affect your child’s ability to get good sleep.
Without the right amount of sleep, your child will be cranky and lethargic during the day. This is why you need to work on creating a screen-free bedroom design. Instead of filling your child’s bedroom with electronics, you need to invest in books and educational games. Providing your child with these healthier alternatives will help to keep them occupied during their free time.
Keep Your Child Active
Children with lots of free time tend to crave stimulation from electronic devices. If your child is always bored, keeping them off of tablets, phones and televisions will be increasingly difficult. This is why you need to work on keeping your child active.
You can accomplish this goal by taking your child outside every day to play. Enrolling your child in youth sports leagues is also a good idea. Playing sports not only keeps your child active, it also teaches them how to work with other people. Speaking to your child to get some feedback on the sports they want to play is a good idea. Keeping them involved in this process can help you limit the amount of pushback you receive.
Set a Good Example For Your Child
If you want your child to respond positively to changes involving screen time, then you have to set a good example. If your child sees you on electronic devices for multiple hours a day, they will want to emulate this behavior. This is why you also need to lower the amount of time you spend on your phone and other devices.
If you feel the desire to get on a mobile device, try going outside or playing a board game with your family. These small changes will add up over time. After a few weeks, you and your family will get used to limited screen time.
Limiting your child’s screen time will benefit everyone in the long run. By implementing these tips, you can successfully reduce your child’s screen time.