From the Parent Cue.
Many parents have an interesting relationship with technology.
We’re both grateful for the moments of peace technology affords us and worried that our kids are becoming addicted to screens. iPads and laptops are everywhere, and for parents who want to limit their kids’ screen time, it can be difficult to find a healthy balance…especially during the summer months when many parents are looking to keep their kids occupied.
So, how can a parent leverage technology while helping their kid maintain a healthy relationship with it? Here are some ideas:
1. Make a plan.
When it comes to the more “fun” screen time, sit down with your kid and set specific guidelines. Be clear and consistent with them and follow through. Too often, it’s easy to stick to it for a few weeks, then fall back into old habits. Whether it’s hours per week, specific times of the day, or even certain rooms where iPads aren’t allowed (like bedrooms), make sure your kid knows exactly what’s okay and what isn’t, when it comes to screen time.
2. Use parental controls.
Go into the settings and set limits on how much your kid can use the device and what they can see.
3. Set an example.
It’s hard to enforce screen time rules when you don’t have any for yourself. Give yourself certain parameters—like no screen time in bed or after a certain time of day—and then stick to it.
4. Keep screens off the dinner menu.
After long days, dinner time should be family time—the one part of the day where you can all sit down and engage with each other. Screens not only take away from that opportunity, but they limit your kid’s ability to use and grow in their social skills.
5. Limit online capabilities for safety.
Screen time is one thing, but screen time with access to online functions within an app is an entirely different thing. Be aware of what apps your kid is using and what online features they have. If one particular app is popular with kids, you can be sure that predators will be there, too—especially if it allows them to interact with kids. Know who your kids are talking to and disable communication features, if necessary.
6. Have fun!
It’s so easy to get worried about the dangers of technology that we forget to have fun with it. Technology offers so many exciting features that can benefit our kids in their intellectual and emotional growth. Let’s use those to our benefit and enjoy them, while also simply being aware of the possible negatives that may exist. As long as we know what our kids are doing, we can be confident we’re using technology in a positive way.
Like all the generations before us, new forms of technology will always present pros and cons. And just like our parents and their parents, we’ll need to navigate these new forms of entertainment to learn how to best use them with our kids. But as long as we’re balancing the way our kids use screens, there’s no reason we can’t help them develop a healthy relationship with technology for years to come.
We’re both grateful for the moments of peace technology affords us and worried that our kids are becoming addicted to screens. iPads and laptops are everywhere, and for parents who want to limit their kids’ screen time, it can be difficult to find a healthy balance…especially during the summer months when many parents are looking to keep their kids occupied.
So, how can a parent leverage technology while helping their kid maintain a healthy relationship with it? Here are some ideas:
1. Make a plan.
When it comes to the more “fun” screen time, sit down with your kid and set specific guidelines. Be clear and consistent with them and follow through. Too often, it’s easy to stick to it for a few weeks, then fall back into old habits. Whether it’s hours per week, specific times of the day, or even certain rooms where iPads aren’t allowed (like bedrooms), make sure your kid knows exactly what’s okay and what isn’t, when it comes to screen time.
2. Use parental controls.
Go into the settings and set limits on how much your kid can use the device and what they can see.
3. Set an example.
It’s hard to enforce screen time rules when you don’t have any for yourself. Give yourself certain parameters—like no screen time in bed or after a certain time of day—and then stick to it.
4. Keep screens off the dinner menu.
After long days, dinner time should be family time—the one part of the day where you can all sit down and engage with each other. Screens not only take away from that opportunity, but they limit your kid’s ability to use and grow in their social skills.
5. Limit online capabilities for safety.
Screen time is one thing, but screen time with access to online functions within an app is an entirely different thing. Be aware of what apps your kid is using and what online features they have. If one particular app is popular with kids, you can be sure that predators will be there, too—especially if it allows them to interact with kids. Know who your kids are talking to and disable communication features, if necessary.
6. Have fun!
It’s so easy to get worried about the dangers of technology that we forget to have fun with it. Technology offers so many exciting features that can benefit our kids in their intellectual and emotional growth. Let’s use those to our benefit and enjoy them, while also simply being aware of the possible negatives that may exist. As long as we know what our kids are doing, we can be confident we’re using technology in a positive way.
Like all the generations before us, new forms of technology will always present pros and cons. And just like our parents and their parents, we’ll need to navigate these new forms of entertainment to learn how to best use them with our kids. But as long as we’re balancing the way our kids use screens, there’s no reason we can’t help them develop a healthy relationship with technology for years to come.