Digital devices are part of everyday family life, but some children find it difficult to stop using them or balance screen activities with sleep, school, exercise and time with others. Parents can help by setting consistent expectations, exploring what children enjoy online and offering engaging offline alternatives.
Helping Children Build Healthier Technology Habits
We live in a world now days where almost everything is done with the help of technology. From finding our way home to booking plane and movie tickets, from communicating with friends and family, to simple shopping, everything can be done through our phones, tablets or laptops. While all this truly makes these advancements in technology very appealing, there is one serious negative impact of this – The effect it has on children.
Many children have become seriously addicted to technological devices like cell phones, tablets and laptops. As parents, having a child who is spending most of his or her time in front of a television screen, a cell phone or a tablet, should be a very alarming thing. Excessive or poorly balanced screen use can interfere with sleep, physical activity and family routines for some children. The effects depend on the child, the content they use and the wider context, so parents should look at wellbeing and daily habits rather than screen hours alone.
As parents, it becomes important to do everything we can to make sure our children are not addicted to these tech gadgets. The following practical strategies can help children develop healthier digital habits. For additional context, see our guide to balancing screen time and children’s wellbeing.
Keep exposure time limited –
The very first thing that parents need to do is to limit their child’s exposure time vis-à-vis television and tablets. Appropriate screen-time limits depend on a child’s age, development and the type of activity. Families can prioritise sleep, movement, face-to-face interaction and age-appropriate content, while following current guidance from qualified child-health organisations.
Use these gadgets to your own advantage –
Parents should use these gadgets as motivator to help them handle their kids. Instead of limiting access to these gadgets for acting poorly, parents can instead reward their children for doing something good by giving them limited access to these gadgets. This doesn’t mean that kids get access for every instance of good behavior, but rather get occasionally rewarded from time to time.
Embrace the tantrum –
Tantrums are something that is simply unavoidable. When it comes to kids, throwing tantrums comes naturally. Tantrums are a form of rebellion and pushing back that need to be dealt with accordingly. In these cases, scolding your child is not the right way to go. You should embrace the tantrum and make your kids anger the mutual enemy.
