How to establish healthy screen habits at home.
Children are exposed to more screens than ever before, including television, computers, gaming consoles, smartphones and tablets. While quality media may offer benefits for learning and exploration, too much screen time can reduce the time we spend doing activities that keep us healthy like talking to friends and family, playing outside, and getting enough sleep.
Why should I limit my child's screen time?
Recreational screen time is any time spent with a screen including television, computers, gaming and mobile devices that is not related to educational use. Educational screen time might include completing homework, attending an online class, or video calling family. Recreational screen time can limit your child’s participation in other activities, such as interacting with family and friends, playing outdoors, creating or reading. Too much recreational screen time can negatively affect development and behaviour, mental wellness, and physical activity levels.
What is the right amount of screen time for my child?
The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends:
- For children under two years old screen time is not recommended.
- For children two to five years old limit recreational screen time to less than one hour a day.
- For children older than five limit recreational screen time to less than two hours a day.
How do I establish healthy screen habits at home?
The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that healthy habits be established using the 4 M’s:
- Manage screen time through plans, rules, and limits. For example, make a family media plan!
- Encourage Meaningful screen use. Choose content that encourages learning and participation.
- Model healthy screen use. Find time in the day for the whole family to be screen free.
- Monitor for signs of problematic screen use. Look out for signs that screens are interfering with offline activities.
Try to establish screen time limits and appropriate habits early in childhood, as it will be easier than setting them later when children have established patterns and routines. Ensure that everyone in your family understands and shares the same understanding of acceptable limits and content. Some tips:
- Be a positive role model with your own screen time
- Turn off TV during meal times
- Turn off background TV when no one is watching
- Avoid using screens an hour before bedtime
- Choose activities such as playing outdoors, reading or crafting over screens
Resources
- Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth
- Canadian Paediatric Society: Sit less and move more
- Media and Your Child: Making Choices
- Physical Activity For Infants, Children and Youth
- SCOPE BC Live 5-2-1-0: Screen time fact sheet