The toddler years are vital for a child’s development. They are learning to explore and engage with their surroundings, which will shape their future to a great extent.
Today, children have high exposure to screens from a very early age, especially mobile screens. They are spending more time with devices than with other children. While screens can provide many benefits, it’s important to limit screen time for your child. Excess screen time can slow your child’s growth and development at several levels.
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We have curated a few smart ways where you can effectively reduce a child’s screen time without the fuss –
1. Provide them with undivided Attention:
When your child wants to talk to you, give them your full attention by putting away any devices and really focusing on what they have to say. This way, children realize that they are more important to you than anything else happening on your phone or laptop.
2. Engage with them and involve them more:
It is important to keep your child engaged in activities that involve touch and feel such as drawing, painting, reading, gardening, and singing. This allows them to explore and develop their senses, which is crucial for their cognitive development.
Not only this, to make sure they reduce screen time – give them house chores, involve them into your day-to-day routine. Something as simple as setting the table, folding clothes – however they can be more involved and can contribute!
3. Talk More:
As a parent, it’s crucial to have open communication with your children at all times. This means not only asking them about their day at school or what their favourite song is, but also talking to them about things that matter – like the impact of too much screen time on their eyesight and why it’s important to limit their time in front of screens.
It’s also important to introduce your kids to sports and other activities that they can enjoy for the long term. Helping them find a hobby that they’re passionate about will set them up for success in the future.
4. Do something together:
Weekends could be a time where they would want to be more on the screen. During weekends, plan your activities around them – plan an outing, go for a dinner, a hike or something fun and different!
5. Set a time schedule:
The best way to control the number of hours your kids spend on screen is to make a tight schedule and adhere to it. Setting up boundaries on how much screen they will get is a good habit in constraint. If they want to over spend their time on particular days, talk to them like reasonable adults – try not saying no or being extremely stern.
The screens, internet and mobile games – has made it impossible for kids and even adults to practice restraint in how much time they spend online. While everything has its own pros and cons, it is extremely important for kids to know and learn better through our habits.
Will part with a simple tip for parents – our children learn through us, they embody us, copy us and hence it is incredibly important that we also practice restraint in our screen time for them to know better!