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Many parents know that screen time can be detrimental to young children’s development especially if children are placed in front of screens for long periods of times watching content that is not age appropriate. Another harmful aspect of screen time is “background screen time” where for example, a TV turned on in the living room may interrupt a child’s active play. This is harmful as it’s distracting and may also contain images and sounds that are not age appropriate.
At the same time, screens can also be a lifesaver i.e. during travel. As with most parenting advice our role isn’t to offer you a list of do/don’t do; yet we attempt to offer parents with information about screen time so you can make the best informed decision for your child.
Parents often report that their children learn a great deal from programs viewed on TV or IPads, yet it’s important to remember that research has shown us that children learn best using interactive methods and hands on experiences, or in other words actually using their senses to learn such as touch and movement.
If you are exposing your child to screen time, it’s important that you keep in mind the following when choosing specific shows or programs for your children,:Choose a show that is age appropriate and is of high quality Limit screen time, research shows that children should not be spending more than 90 min per day Choose programs that are highly interactive and engage children with them (such as asking them to repeat words or songs back)Participate in your child’s screen time, by repeating things, dancing to the music and commenting on what your child is watching