Managing your child's screen time can be tricky in today’s digital world. Children enjoy cartoons, games and enjoy learning online, but spending a lot of time in front of the screen is not beneficial for them. Dr. V. Venkatesh, the best pediatrician in vizag shares Simple effective tips to manage screen time of children.
Why Is Screen Time a Problem?
Excessive screen time can lead to problems like:
Eye strain: Constant use of the computer results in dryness and blurry vision of the eyes.
Sleep issues: This is because exposure to any form of light before bedtime can interfere with the quality of your child’s sleep.
Less physical activity: Much parent-technology believes that sitting with screens certainly reduces the time children spend outside playing and exercising.
Behavioral changes: The children may get angry too much or they may stop concentrating on books and other tasks.
There are a number of ways that can help you ensure proper development of your child, while limiting their TV viewing.
How Much Screen Time Is Okay?
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests:
Under 2 years: No screen time at all.
2 to 5 years: Not more than one hour of good content each day.
6 years and older: Routine restrictions should be imposed regarding the time concerned with screen system use and other healthy activities such as exercise, sleep, etc.
Teaching and learning about healthy screen habits from Dr. Venkatesh
Here are some easy-to-follow tips from Dr. Venkatesh:
1. Set a Screen Schedule
It is useful to develop an everyday timetable that involves designated slots for the use of the screens. For instance, let your child watch TV for one hour after doing homework or allow 30 min of screen time before eating. This makes a child understand when s/he is allowed to use the screen and when s/he is not supposed to use it.
2. Encourage Outdoor Play
If you have a child, take the youngster to the park or opt for any team game like cricket, badminton or hide and seek. They engage in physical related activities and exercise that makes them fit and avoids the screens.
3. Create a Screen-Free Zone
Discourage the use of screens in some part of the house, for instance, the dining area or bedroom. This also promotes togetherness during meal times, and improved sleep at night.
4. Use Educational Content
Download apps, games or shows that have something to communicate to you and your children. For the younger children, choose programs related to numbers, alphabets, or animals. For the older children, choose those programmes or learning applications related to the subjects they are taught in school.
5. Be a Role Model
The paper argues that children learn through observation from their parents. Reduce your time on devices and manage to give them a feel of the example such as family time or reading books.
6. Take Regular Breaks
When your child has to use the screen for lessons or homeworks in online classes, they should do so in turn for every 20 minutes of screen-time. Tell them to blink and look down from the screen or suggest that they go and stand for a few minutes.
7. Spend Quality Time Together
Organize family fun activities such as games on the board, cooking food, or telling stories. When kids are busy enjoying the love that they are receiving it will not even cross their mind to spend time with gadgets.
8. How would you justify the Establishment of Limits
Explain to your child the reason behind limiting their screen time. Describe ways in which children can be told that, spending too much time in front of screens can affect their eyes or leave them feeling exhausted. If they understand the rules being set down then they are in a position to make the necessary adjustments and follow the set down rules.
Here are some fun activities to try with your kids:
Arts and crafts: Painting, doing drawings or making paper Art projects.
Reading: Choose appealing pictures from stories for kids or comics for teenagers.
Gardening: Let them learn how to plant flowers or any type of vegetables.
Music: Make them sing, or help them take up either the keyboards, guitar, or drums.
Puzzles: Do a jigsaw puzzle or a word game.
When to Seek Expert Help
If in one or two years your child spends all their free time glued to the screen and they don’t want to do anything else, you should ask for a doctor’s help. Dr. V. Venkatesh has years of dealing with families to help them establish healthy patterns. What sets Him apart is that he offers tangible solutions depending on your child’s condition.
Conclusion
Managing screen time is all about balance. You will be on the right track by having set the rules and even engaging your kid in healthy activities to become a happy healthy person. Follow these tips from Dr. Venkatesh Child Care, the best pediatrician in vizag.to make screen time safe and enjoyable for your little ones.
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