TIPS TO REDUCE SCREEN TIME IN KIDS

  

 

Children in the Netherlands are among the happiest in the world, research has suggested, and experts say that there could be a number of reasons why this is the case.

One major reason being non –competitive schooling and the other assertive parenting style which sets “clear boundaries with lots of love and warmth … has consistently been shown to correlate with positive outcomes for children.” 

More to these, here is a point for parents to remember that “exam scores aren’t the be-all and end-all,” and that they should try to focus on fostering their child’s curiosity.

Here Indian culture has a strong tradition of authoritarian parenting, where parents play a significant role in making decisions and enforcing rigid laws. A child's upbringing frequently involves contributions from several generations due to the cultural setting of joint families in those days.

Whereas now,  when both the parents are busy at their work and have very less time to spend at home with their kids, the bond that the children have with their parents suffer. As the kids grow up, this gap may widen. The time constraint leaves limited opportunities for meaningful engagement with their families. This lack of quality time impacts children's emotional well-being, cognitive development, and overall relationship with their parents.

 When due to lack of attention from parents, the children feel rejected and fail to imbibe proper moral and social values. Parents try to compensate for their absence by showering their children with expensive toys, gifts and gadgets. Little wonder, the children are unable to fathom the value of money and fail to appreciate the hard work required to earn it.

 There enters the trouble makers gadgets & the screen time! To keep children away from gadgets & screen time, not only children but mainly parents should stick to certain formats:

·        Role Model Behavior: Demonstrate balanced screen time habits for your children to emulate.

·        Parent-Child Bonding: Spend quality time together engaging in activities that strengthen your relationship.

·        Create Tech-Free Zones: Designate certain areas of the house, like the dining room or bedrooms, as screen-free zones.

·        Creative Play: Provide arts and crafts supplies to encourage imaginative play and creativity.

·        Digital Detox: Plan occasional screen-free days or weekends for the whole family to reset and recharge.

·        Family Activities:  Plan regular family activities that don't involve screens, like board games, art projects, or cooking together.

·        Engage in Outdoor Activities: Encourage physical activities and outdoor play to divert attention from screens.

·        Set Screen-Free Times: Designate specific times of day when screens are not allowed, such as during homework or family time.

·        Bedtime Routine: Establish a screen-free period before bedtime to improve sleep quality.

·        Social Interactions: Foster in-person social interactions and playdates to reduce reliance on virtual interactions.

·        Hobbies and Interests: Encourage your child to explore hobbies and interests that don't involve screens.

·        Encourage Reading: Promote reading physical books.

Though the above said points are safe and sure enough to reduce screen time and limit the use of gadgets, still parents can be more disciplined with the following ones:

·        Daily Routines: Structure the day with set periods for screen time, homework, chores, and other activities.

·        Educational Screen Time: Select educational apps, games, or videos that provide meaningful content.

·        Screen Time Tracking: Use apps or built-in device features to monitor and manage screen time.

·        Limit Multitasking: Encourage focusing on one screen-based activity at a time to prevent excessive multitasking.

·        Open Communication: Discuss the importance of balanced screen time with your child and involve them in setting limits.

·        Parental Guidance: Monitor and control your child's screen time to ensure healthy limits are maintained.

Here Happinetz comes in handy as a big relief to parents. It is a safe internet for kids box that connects to your home router wired or wirelessly. Once connected, it creates a separate WiFi which filters out age-inappropriate internet and helps you set screen time schedules for devices connected to this WiFi. Happinetz continuously monitors more than 110 million websites and apps and is preconfigured to block more than 22 million adult and unsecured websites. To know more about its features, visit https://www.happinetz.com/features 

(This post is a part of Happinetz - Safe Internet For Kids and backlink it to https://www.happinetz.com/product/happinetz-box )