CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the new school year begins, parents need to monitor how much time their kids are spending in front of screens.
With schools assigning work on iPads and laptops, screens have become essential to your child’s education and social development.
So, how do you manage your child’s screen time, and how can you tell when your child has had too much?
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WHAT WE FOUND
Robinson said it's important to set a screen time limit for your kids, especially during the school year.
“Two hours of recreational screen time is what we like to aim for," she said. "That is more realistic in some households than others, but we really try to at least set some kind of limits beforehand.”
A study from the Mayo Clinic shows too much screen time and regular exposure to poor-quality programming has been linked to:
- Obesity
- Inadequate sleep schedules and insufficient sleep
- Behavior problems
- Delays in language and social skills development
- Violence
If you’ve been more relaxed with screen time over the summer, Robinson said it’s a good idea to have a conversation about it now instead of waiting later into the school year.
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She said instead of taking away all recreational screen time, try turning it into a family activity.
“Making it special so that if you watch movies together on Friday nights, and that's how you use your screen time and you maybe go outside and set up a projector screen or you get popcorn or you do something just to make it a little bit more special and a little bit more of a family activity," she explained.
Robinson said if you want your kids off their phones and tablets, you need to lead by example. so make sure you’re taking breaks from your phone as well.