How Do You Limit Kids’ Screen Time?
My new post Screen Time is up at GNMParents. If anyone has kids that stare at screens too often, hop on over and give me some advice. :) I’m needing it.
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I'm a homeschooling Christian Mom, trying to keep up with 2 sets of twin boys. More...
This is a major battle with my family. My wife is a TV-A-HOLIC and my son loves Dora, Jack’s Big Music Show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Blues Clues and Diego. If you let him, he will ask and watch all day long. To limit this, we say one show when he wakes up before school (he eats breakfast and watches a Micky Mouse episode) and one show after school (Dora or Diego). The rest of the time is free play, play with mommy and daddy or a friend. It is hard, it forces us as parents to parent more instead of letting the TV babysit for us…so we can get stuff done like cleaning, cooking etc.
Good luck…it is a big time battle!
Ooooh, ouch!
The point about being the parent and not letting the TV babysit really hits home.
There’s quite a spectrum of views regarding whether to have television in the home, and if you do how much to let kids watch. I lean more towards having one in the home than not; I’d rather teach my boys some discernment myself than leave them to their own devices when they move out. It’s worked with the older ones to some extent. The wanted to watch the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, but turned it off themselves after watching the hosts’ vulgar behavior for about 5 minutes. I was pretty thrilled that they were so unimpressed with belching adults.
I haven’t finalized a strategy yet, but I’m thinking that time limits, targeted software choices, and an increase in family activity time are all going to be parts of it.
Thanks for the great comment!
My boys know that they have an hour and a half after school that they watch PBS Kids- that’s Arthur, Maya and Miguel, and Fetch (on Fridays, Maya and Miguel is replaced with Word Girl). Then after Fetch, the boys automatically turn the TV off.
Now, I need a plan for the weekends. (sigh).
Good post, Amy!!! That evil TV/computer screen does do more harm than good sometimes (in battles).
~Michelle
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