Screen Time for Children! | A Balanced Discussion

When it comes to screen time for children, parents are confused! What is the best thing to do? On the one-hand, we hear about the negative impact of technology on our children; on the other, we hear praise for the many educational resources online. What is the right thing to do? This blog-post contains affiliate links. For more information, see Disclaimer. In Episode 19 of Raising Mums, I present both the positive and negative arguements for children using screens, so that you can make an informed decision. I also share 8 ways that you can encourage your children to have a healthy relationship with technology. WATCH THIS VIDEO! Screen Time for Children As screen usage becomes more widespread amongst children. With it, we also see a widespread reduction in reading for pleasure, an increase in mental health issues, a reduction in time spent in physical activities, and less time talking to family members. However, if used intentionally, technology can can enrich you child's learning experience. If you want to know more, WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE! So how do we find the balance? How can our children benefit from screens, whilst also being protected from the negative? Here are 8 ways to encourage a your children to have a healthy relationship with screens. 8 Ways to Reduce Screen Time for Children 1 -Talk to your kids Simply telling them that they can't have screen time because, "It's bad for you,' or worse, "Because I said so!" will only make children resentful towards you. Instead, explain to them your concerns and why you feel that they need to spend less time online or watching TV. If you involve them in the discussion and the decision making, and they will take ownership for these changes, making any transition easier for everyone. 2 - Set Boundaries As I mentioned in this week's episode of Raising Mums, it is so hard for adults to have self-control with their technology; and so expecting a child to exercise this kind of self-discipline is ridiculous. Instead, make it easier for them, by establishing boundaries around screen time. This might mean only allowing screens on certain days, or at certain times of the day. Look at your family's weekly schedule and mindfully think through - which are the best times for your children to use their technology? Sign Up to Hear about our Upcoming Homeschooling Courses! @import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,400italic,700,700italic); .ml-form-embedSubmitLoad{display:inline-block;width:20px;height:20px}.ml-form-embedSubmitLoad:after{content:" ";display:block;width:11px;height:11px;margin:1px;border-radius:50%;border:4px solid #fff;border-color:#fff #fff #fff transparent;animation:ml-form-embedSubmitLoad 1.2s linear infinite}@keyframes ml-form-embedSubmitLoad{0%{transform:rotate(0)}100%{transform:rotate(360deg)}}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer{box-sizing:border-box;display:table;height:99.99%;margin:0 auto;position:static;width:100%!important}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer button,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer h4,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer p,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer span{text-transform:none!important;letter-spacing:normal!important}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper{background-color:#f6f6f6;border-width:0;border-color:transparent;border-radius:4px;border-style:solid;box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block!important;margin:0;padding:0;position:relative}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedDefault,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedPopup{width:400px}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedForm{max-width:400px;width:100%}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-left{text-align:left}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-center{text-align:center}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-default{display:table-cell!important;vertical-align:middle!important;text-align:center!important}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-right{text-align:right}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedHeader img{border-top-left-radius:4px;border-top-right-radius:4px;height:auto;margin:0 auto!important;max-width:100%;width:undefinedpx}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody{padding:20px 20px 0 20px}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody.ml-form-embedBodyHorizontal{padding-bottom:0}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent{margin:0 0 20px 0}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent h4,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent h4{color:#000;font-family:'Open Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:30px;font-weight:400;margin:0 0 10px 0;text-align:left;word-break:break-word}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent p,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent p{color:#000;font-family:'Open Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:20px;margin:0 0 10px 0;text-align:left}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent ol,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent ul,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent ol,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent ul{color:#000;font-family:'Open Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14px}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent p a,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent p a{color:#000;text-decoration:underline}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-block-form .ml-field-group{text-align:left!important}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-block-form .ml-field-group label{margin-bottom:5px;color:#333;font-size:14px;font-family:'Open Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;display:inline-block;line-height:20px}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent p:last-child,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent p:last-child{margin:0}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody form{margin:0;width:100%}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-formContent{margin:0 0 20px 0;width:100%}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow{float:left}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm{margin:0;padding:0 0 20px 0;width:100%;height:auto;float:left}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow{margin:0 0 10px 0;width:100%}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow.ml-last-item{margin:0}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow.ml-formfieldHorizintal{margin:0}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input{background-color:#fff!important;color:#333!important;border-color:#ccc!important;border-radius:4px!important;border-style:solid!important;border-width:1px!important;font-family:'Open Sans',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14px!important;height:auto;line-height:21px!important;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;padding:10px 10px!important;width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box!important;max-width:100%!important}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input::-webkit-input-placeholder,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:#333}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input::-moz-placeholder,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input::-moz-placeholder{color:#333}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input:-ms-input-placeholder,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input:-ms-input-placeholder{color:#333}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input:-moz-placeholder,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input:-moz-placeholder{color:#333}#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow textarea,#mlb2-1752390.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow textarea{background-color:#fff!important;color:#333!important;border-color:#ccc!important;border-radius:4px!important;border-style:solid!important;border-width:1px!important;font-family:'Open Sans',Arial,Helvetica,...