Hey my Niki MENAGES!
Picture this scenario:
You’re lying down on a cozy sofa, reading a good book (think of that book in your mind). You’re at that cliff hanger phase, the part where you just want to know what comes next…
All of a sudden, you hear your spouse or kids calling to you to go do something ASAP. Or worse- someone just walks over to grab the book from you and put it away.
If you’ve ever had to find yourself in this type of situation in the past, you may have probably just done one of these;
Ignore
Stall or
Get angry
Ok, Time to Swap Roles:
Imagine it’s your child who is watching a favorite TV show or playing a favorite game and then you decide to just spring up something out of the blues. You’re either telling him/her to stop ASAP and go put her clothes away. Or you’re walking over to just shut down the device, without prior notice.
How do you think that child will feel?
Exactly the way you would have felt if roles were to be swapped.
Do you get the picture?
If the above scenarios sound familiar, then what can be done?
Definitely, we are their parents and should be listened to, but we also need to be empathetic by considering their feelings, while we are at it.
Consider doing the following;
- Prior Warning: Give the kids a heads up when it’s almost time for them to stop that particular screen time activity. You can do this 15 minutes before the actual time you want them to stop.
- Tell them when to stop: You could also tell them that they need to turn off a game once they complete a particular level. That way, it prepares their mind knowing that they need to stop playing soon.
- Remind them: When it’s finally time to stop a screen time activity, remind them to do so. Don’t assume that they should remember.
- Play the distracting game: Depending on the screen time activity, this also works most of the time. You could try distracting them by asking them to tell you a little bit about what they have been viewing and why they like it.
Recently, I’ve read several stories. Some are about the scary effects too much screen time has on kids. Just like me, you may have wondered how much screen time is healthy for your kids, or how much TV they should watch, or even how many hours they should spend when using their phones or tablets. It may shock you to know that too much screen time for your kids have adverse effect on their development and growth, as a whole.
From mood swings, to feelings of loneliness, high depression rates as they grow older, and even suicidal thoughts in extreme cases. Kids no longer have playdates or outdoor activities as much as we used to during our own time. They are getting less sleep, cyber bullying is on the rise… the list is endless.
According to occupational therapist, Victoria Prooday, ‘Today’s children are being deprived of the fundamentals of a healthy childhood:
- Emotionally available parents
- Responsibilities
- Balanced sleep and nutrition
- Creative play
- Social interaction, etc
Instead, children are being served with:
- Digitally distracted parents
- Sense of entitlement
- Inadequate sleep and nutrition
- Technological babysitters(in the form of screen time)
- Sedentary indoor lifestyle, etc.
How true… and how sad.
I couldn’t agree more.
What more can be done?
- Drop everything and talk. Talk to your kids regularly. Make it a daily, after school ritual.
- Have a ‘no screen time day’ a couple of times a week. Start with once a week and build your way up to more, gradually.
- Be sure that your kids are always getting adequate sleep and nutrition.
- Pray for them and with them. This can never be overemphasized.
- Show regular interest in what your kids are doing online.
- Keep to the recommended screen time: No screen time from 0 to 18 months; an hour for 2 to 5 year olds; 2 hours for 5 to 10 year olds; and set reasonable limits for kids older than 10. In all, ensure that it does not interfere with screen time or physical activity. It’s a tough call and I haven’t even gotten there yet with my girls, but one thing I’m sure about is that, not caring about the amount of screen time our kids have can be quite dangerous.
It’s a scary world and it gets scarier by the day, but the good news is that we have the power to help our kids in our own little way.
Now the big question woud be, “Are you willing to do what it takes to help?”
XOXO,
Yours Truly
Nikimandi
