Tricks for Reducing Your Family's Screen Time

How “plugged in” are your kids?  Do they eat in front of the TV?  Do they text their friends instead of calling?  Are most of their homework assignments done on the computer?  Don’t get me wrong, everyone needs a certain amount of downtime, and the laughter that comes with your favorite movie has plenty of health benefits, too.  But more and more research shows that kids (and adults) are experiencing the negative effects of too much screen time.  An article posted by the Mayo Clinic linked more than two hours of screen time every day to obesity, irregular sleep, behavior issues, trouble at school, violence, and less time for play (for the full article, follow this link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/children-and-tv/MY00522a).      

So, how can you support your kids in reducing their screen time? 

For starters, record how much time you and your kids spend in front of the screen for a day (try a weekday and a weekend day).  You probably don’t realize how much time your family spends in front of the TV or playing games on the computer and having to write the time down may actually make you spend less time on those activities.  (Just like you don’t eat extra sweets when you’re keeping a food journal!)   

Model this change yourself.  Turn off the TV during dinner, let the answering machine or voicemail take a couple calls, play Scrabble with them instead of Words with Friends, borrow books from the library instead of movies from RedBox!  It might be a difficult change to make, especially since we’re used to being able to reach our friends and family at a moment’s notice, but talking about the challenge with your kids will help them accept the struggle and make a change.  

Plan time with your family that is not screen time.  If you usually watch TV together on Friday nights, invest in a new board game and try it out together.  Go for a walk, play with Play-doh, paint with watercolors, try a new recipe!  Find something that you enjoy doing together away from a screen.  There are plenty of local activities for kids and now that spring is around the corner, it should be easier to take advantage of them.    

Find an unplugged downtime activity that your child enjoys.  Instead of more screen time when your kids need a little break, encourage coloring, reading, or solo play of some sort.  I am definitely guilty of turning to games on my phone when I need to decompress, but I promise to make the change too-- back to reading books!

Get outside!  Add some outdoor play time to your regular schedule, just like you schedule in your family’s favorite shows.  Set a goal to play outside everyday for as long as you plan on watching TV.  Walk around the neighborhood before starting homework at the computer.  It only takes three weeks to make a new habit! 

Schedule big time technology breaks.  Since one of my roles is Camp Director, I have to vouch that sending your child to camp will definitely help them break the screen time habit.  In their free time they will play games, sing songs, build forts, and run around and when they get home, they’ll be too tired to play on the iPad!   

Let me know what works for your family and what benefits you see… who knows…you could even reduce your electric bill!