ANXIOUS OVER SCREEN TIME? HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO.

4-minute read.

It is no secret that screens have become a non-negotiable part of our society. While they have made our lives far more comfortable in a lot of ways, there is no denying that they have also had some adverse effects, especially on our children. Parenting in the age of screens can be difficult, but luckily there are certain tactics you can take to reduce your child’s screen usage and take the pressure off of yourself.

Here’s what you can do to combat excessive screen use…

Create some parameters around usage.

Setting boundaries with your kids around when and where they are permitted to use their phones or tablets, watch tv, and/or play video games is key in reducing their screen usage. Of course, these rules will be dependent on your child’s age and their current habits. For example, you could opt to set hard time limits for your little ones or impose a ‘no video games on school nights’ rule for your pre-teen who’s been glued to their new PS5 recently. A couple of boundaries that we love to hear from our students are no electronics during dinner and none an hour before bed.

You’ll also want to be conscious of where electronics are being kept. Do you have a specific room that is designated for TV, video games, or other screen use? Do you allow electronics in your child’s bedroom? Every family will require and benefit from a different set of parameters, but these are thought-provoking questions to consider.

No matter what rules you decide to put in place, it is extremely important to be consistent. Changing things up or making frequent exceptions will only serve to confuse your child and set a precedent that these boundaries can be pushed.

Make a game out of it!

Less screen time does not always have to be framed as a punishment or restriction. Why not make a game out of it? Try conducting a contest for who can stay off of their phones the longest or use screens the least within a given period of time; the winner gets a special reward! You could even create a display in one of your home’s common areas to track how everyone is doing and to keep the contest on top of everyone’s minds.

Another idea is to suggest screen-free activities for the whole family to enjoy together. You can all go to a bowling alley, go for a hike, go out for ice cream…the world is your oyster!

Practice the 20-20-20 rule.

We all know that screen use is often unavoidable and even necessary for our kids to complete some of their academic tasks. If they have a big project they are working on or an important test coming up, suggest they use the 20-20-20 rule to avoid eye strain. Simply put, every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, your child should look away for 20 seconds, at something that is 20 feet away. Since your kid probably doesn’t have a tape measure handy at all times, you can just tell them to look at something far away.

At Tutoring Club of McLean, we take this a bit further and don’t only limit it to screen use. We love to offer our kids intermittent ‘Brain Breaks’ in which we have them get up and stretch their legs, play a quick game, or fill up their water bottles.

Model good behavior.

Among our staff, one of our top adages is that parents are their kids’ first and greatest role models! If kiddos see you glued to your phone all day or parked in front of the TV each night, they’ll start to follow suit. When the adults in their lives model healthy screen usage, preferably from a young age, students take notice of that too.

As mentioned before, Tutoring Club of McLean strives to work in frequent breaks for our kiddos to rest their eyes and move their bodies. We incorporate learning techniques both on and off of screens and pride ourselves on making learning fun. Our award-winning methods keep our students engaged in their academics, no matter the time of year! Contact us today to see how we might fit into your child’s summer schedule.

Michelle Scott
Owner/Director
Tutoring Club of McLean
703.237.TUTOR (8886)
Email: McLeanVA@tutoringclub.com