Raising Kids in a Digital Age: Tips for Managing Screen Time

Parenting often reaches a point when you just need a moment to breathe and regain your sanity. You're tired, overwhelmed, and doing your best, but sometimes you just need your little one to engage with a screen for a brief moment of peace. While this can be a relief, many parents struggle with guilt for allowing screen time in these situations.

This blog explores the realities of raising children in a digital world. While it's widely believed that an “unplugged” childhood is ideal for development, technology also offers numerous benefits when used mindfully. When kept in moderation, screen time can be both enjoyable and valuable for families, fostering creativity, connection, and learning.

We understand that completely avoiding screens is an unrealistic goal. Instead, we’re offering practical tips to help you create a healthy, balanced, and guilt-free approach to screen time within your family.

Include Non-Screen Activities

Instead of focusing solely on reducing screen time, the key is to incorporate healthy, non-screen activities that support your child’s overall well-being. It’s not about the absence of screens but about fostering engaging habits and routines that balance technology with other enriching experiences.

Daily physical activity, reading, creative play, quality social time with family and friends, and sufficient sleep are essential for a child’s development and health. Aim for 10-12 hours of quality sleep and at least 1 hour of exercise each day to ensure your child thrives. When these healthy, non-screen activities form the foundation of their daily routine, screen time can become a natural, balanced part of a healthy lifestyle.

However, if you notice your child struggling with sleep, learning, mood, social interactions, or physical activity, it may be worth reassessing how much screen time they are exposed to and making adjustments to support their needs.

Set a Good Example

Children often look to their parents as role models, and there is a strong connection between the screen time habits of parents and those of their children. This means that the way you manage and model your own screen time behavior plays a significant role in shaping your child’s habits.

To set a positive example, prioritize maintaining an active lifestyle and practice safe, healthy, and balanced screen habits. When you demonstrate mindful and intentional use of technology, your child is more likely to adopt the same behavior.

Take Part in Screen Time

Engaging in screen time with your child can be a meaningful way to connect, learn, and communicate. When you watch content together, you create opportunities for conversation, learning, and shared understanding. This allows children to process what they’re watching, ask questions, and gain a better understanding of the material while giving you the chance to monitor the content they’re exposed to.

While watching programming, discuss the content with your child. Talk about what they’re seeing, highlight the lessons and values in the show, and educate them about the purpose of advertising and commercials. Point out positive behaviors like teamwork, kindness, and empathy, and connect the content to your own experiences, such as familiar places, people, or events. Ask your child questions about the show, helping them translate lessons from the screen into real-life situations. This interactive approach makes screen time more educational and meaningful.

Monitor or Set Limits

Monitoring your child's screen use and setting appropriate limits is an important way to ensure healthy habits. Ideally, children should have no more than 1 hour of screen time per day, with 2 hours being the recommended maximum.

With so many uses for devices, it can be challenging to keep track of how much time your child spends on screens. Using screen time monitoring apps can provide valuable insights into their usage and allow you to set limits on specific apps or devices. Alternatively, a simple timer or alarm clock can be a helpful tool to enforce the screen time you set.

When establishing rules about screen use, opt for a supportive and understanding approach rather than a controlling one. Discuss the rules calmly and positively to encourage cooperation. Being aware of your child’s screen time can also motivate you to implement other strategies to promote a healthier balance between technology and other activities.

End Note

We hope these tips provide guidance as you navigate technology use within your family. The goal is to encourage screen use in ways that foster creativity, learning, and connection with family and friends, rather than relying on it as a mindless distraction.

In today’s digital world, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate screens completely, but the focus should be on using them intentionally and purposefully. Being mindful about how and why we use our devices can make all the difference in creating a healthy and balanced relationship with technology.