Are you struggling to manage your child’s screen time? Do you want to teach your kid the positives and negatives of screen time but don’t know how to do it? Here is how you can ensure that you and your child are healthily managing their screen time.
Screens and technology are nearly entirely integrated with our modern lives. Everywhere you turn, there always seems to be a screen right in front of you. While these advancements in technology have some phenomenal benefits, not all is perfect about them. Too much screen time can have some seriously detrimental effects on children, such as:
- Behavioural problems
- Educational issues
- Weight disorders
- Trouble sleeping
- Bullying
As a parent, it is important to instill your child with a strong understanding of the benefits and negative impacts of the digital world. Keep reading to learn about some tips developed by our Montessori school for ensuring your child lives a healthy digital life.
Our Montessori Preschool Focuses on the Complete and Comprehensive Development of Your Child
At Grey Matter Montessori, a preschool located in Evanston, Calgary, we take a holistic approach to education that prioritizes our students' social, mental, and emotional development. We understand how modern technology can impact a child's growth and take steps to ensure that they are growing in the right, healthy direction.
Want to learn more about how we make a difference in our students' lives?
How to Improve Your Child’s Development with Proper Screen Time
At our NW Calgary Preschool and Daycare, our number one priority is to ensure the healthy development of your son or daughter. One of the most key elements of this is through their digital health and well being. Our team makes a point to ensure that all of our students are educated on digital technology's pros and cons. However, for children to get the most out of our digital education, they need to be taught similar things outside of the classroom. Here are ways that you can ensure your child lives a healthy digital life.
5 REASONS TO ENROL YOUR CHILD IN A MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL
8 Tips for You and Your Child To Ensure Healthy Screen Time
1. Make sure you are educated
Before using any of the following tips in your own home, you first need to ensure that you have a strong understanding of the latest technology. Most kids are born into and grow up surrounded by electronics, making them incredibly tech-savvy right from the get-go. For us adults, it might be more challenging to learn. However, for you to properly converse with your child about digital devices and technology, you first need to understand them yourself.
2. Be a good role model
Once you have a strong understanding of, and use some of the technologies yourself, you should be leading by example. Children often subtly mimic the behaviours of their parents. If you want your child to practice safe technology habits, you need to practice them yourself. If you showcase a poor example, your child will believe that what you are doing is okay and will tend to act the same.
3. Use “tech-free” spaces and times
Establishing places and times, such as the dinner table at mealtime, as screen-free zones, is an excellent step to setting proper boundaries with technology. With the devices away, these moments are times when you can have quality conversations with your kids while also showing that they do not need their gadgets to have a good time.
4. Explain the pros and cons of screen time
By explaining to your children why you set the limits and rules on screen time, they are more likely to follow and respect the rules you set. If you simply put the rules in place and tell your kids to follow them, they will be more likely to break the rules and go against your judgement. By teaching them the pros and cons associated with too much screen time, they will feel more respected and will be more likely to go along with the rules you set.
5. Encourage alternative activities
With the seemingly endless amount of games, devices, and content available nowadays, it can be easy for some to become reliant on electronics for entertainment. However, other forms of entertainment are still just as enjoyable! Sports, board games, reading, and playing outside are all excellent ways for you and your son or daughter to have fun away from your screens.
6. Set usage rules and limits
Even if you have used the tips mentioned above and set time and space restrictions on technology usage, you may still find that your child is spending too much time on their devices. This is where you can set usage rules and limitations such as the total amount of time allowed per day or that they should be telling you what they did online today.
7. Restrict content, but be wary
While it is entirely understandable and encouraged to restrict certain content on your child’s devices, it is also good to not be so restrictive that they become curious about what they are not seeing. While the specific content you want to restrict is entirely up to you, you should be aware that, whatever you do limit your child from, will instantly become a point of curiosity for them. This is where conversations can come in about what and why you are restricting them from.
8. Avoid using screen time as a reward
At our NW Calgary Montessori School, this is something that we often see being used as a strategy by parents. However, this is not something that we necessarily recommend. If you use screen time as a reward for good behaviour or actions, your child may begin to revere and idolize their digital devices, seeing as they are the reward.
This is similar to the idea of using dessert as a reward for finishing their dinner. When you use dessert as the reward for the meal, your child will begin to value the dessert as being greater and more important than the meal. By treating digital screen time as a reward, your child may start to see digital time as the most enjoyable pastime.
8 WAYS YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD EAT A HEALTHY DIET!
Contact Us to Learn About Our NW Calgary Daycare and Montessori Preschool
At Grey Matter Montessori, we are committed to providing you and your child with an authentic and stimulating Montessori experience. Our team is skilled and educated on cutting-edge, scientifically proven education methods to improve your child’s academic performance, social skills, and personal success. To learn more about our methods and how your child can benefit, call us at 587-707-4739 or by filling in our contact form below.
FAQ's
What Counts As Healthy Screen Time Per Day?
For children under two, no screen time is recommended. Between the ages of 2-12, two hours a day is recommended, and three hours per day is recommended for all teens.
How Do I Manage My Child’s Screen Time on their iPhone?
You can manage the time and content restrictions by doing the following.
- Go to screen time under the settings app
- Select “screen time” under the name of your child’s phone
- Set the downtime, app restrictions, and content and privacy settings
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