MANAGING SCREEN TIME ARTICLE

It’s hard to know how to handle screen time in your home, when even expert bodies can’t agree on what an appropriate amount of screen time is. Earlier this year, Britain’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health released guidelines on screen time for the first time, but left limits largely up to families, stating "evidence is weak for a threshold to guide children and parents to the appropriate level of screen time." To arrive at this conclusion, the society analysed the abstracts of 940 different studies that focused on the impact of screen time on kids’ mental and physical health.

In contrast, the World Health Organisation’s review of dozens of screen time studies led it to announce in April its own guidelines of zero hours for kids under two and one hour or less for kids two to four. This advice is similar to that given by the Canadian Paediatric Society, with recommendations of one hour maximum for kids two to five and zero hours for those under two. This recommendation is endorsed by all of the experts we spoke with.

Warshawski recently saw a five-year-old boy whose tantrums and anger issues seemed to be linked to his heavy consumption of video games and YouTube. Eventually, his parents cut off the internet to the house, "There were no screens for anyone," he says. There was however, an “almost 180-degree improvement in behaviour because the child’s energy and thoughts and pattern were channelled into socialisation.”

While that was a fairly drastic move, for many families, unwanted behaviours that are being spurred on by screen time can be reduced by being more mindful about how everyone is interacting with their tech.

Madigan recommends that all households create a family media plan that establishes boundaries around screen time, including where and when they can be used. A few foundational rules should include no screens during meals or an hour before bedtime and to avoiding having them on as consistent background noise.

Before the screens get turned on, discuss exactly how long they’ll stay on and what content they’ll be airing. If need be, consider setting a timer as an "objective" party. Just make sure that if your kid is doing something, like playing a game, that requires a wrap-up period, you factor in some time for that.

Once those boundaries have been set, enforce them, "Consistency helps children know what to expect," says Madigan who explains that when, day after day, you turn off the screen at the agreed upon time, “It doesn’t come as a surprise to the child and you may see fewer behavioural outbursts as a result.”

You might also find yourself cringing at your kid’s behaviour because they are imitating actions and words they’re exposed to on screen. A way to mitigate that is to practice co-viewing, says Warshawski. “When you see things are unrealistic or anti-social, prompt the discussion about it,” says Warshawski. He encourages parents to keep a close eye on content in order to minimise the chance that your child will be consuming materials that don’t match your values.

When Heinl took away Lucas’ iPad, the first week or so was rough, complete with tantrums where Lucas screamed for the device. But despite her son’s demands, Heinl stayed calm and pushed through, “I knew it would be worth it in the end.” Now the iPad spends its mornings tucked away and a sense of cooperation has mostly returned to Heinl’s mornings thanks in part to an adjusted schedule that gives her the opportunity to have one-on-one time with her son over breakfast. Lucas does occasionally ask for the tablet but Heinl is staying firm; the iPad’s appearance is limited to around four hours a week and never before school.

KIDS WALKING HOME VIA THE REC RESERVE GATE

We have noticed an increase of children exiting school each day via the Drouin Rec Reserve gates and walking down through the park. If your child is a walker please make sure you have informed your child’s teacher in writing via a ClassDojo, email or written note. Any student walking needs to hug the fence line and stay off the roads to avoid car line pick up traffic.

FOOTBALL AT SCHOOL

Last week I had a chat with several Grade levels in relation to kids playing football at school and getting a little bit rough. The message I’ve given to kids is that school footy needs to be non-competitive and we don’t bump, sling tackle or charge kids when playing footy onsite. In the coming weeks we hope to take our 3-6’s out onto the Rec Reserve for a game that is properly umpired and we will look at doing the same for our 1-2’s.