Excessive use of kids screen time and its effects on them?
School Kids Screen Time:
It is very important to know about the use of kids screen time. Because today school kids have grown up with the use of excessive screen time. All electronic devices are at their fingertips.
The new generation can’t imagine a life without a phone and the internet. The school students think the world is nothing without smartphones, tablets, and the internet. That’s why it is important to understand the harmful effects of excessive screen time and tips to overcome it.
So, it is important to set healthy limits for school kids such as no need to use electronic devices during a family meal, no screen time allowed in bedrooms, and so on. Because these limits are good for you and for your kids.
“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
James Baldwin
Healthy Tips to manage school kids screen time:
However, it is important for parents to know about the nature of their kids and implement those solutions that are aligned with them. So, the first and foremost thing is to understand their nature and plan according to them.
Therefore, there are some key tips for you that will definitely work for managing your kids’ screen time.
Set rules for all family members:
As psychology strongly believe that children don’t listen they observe. So, it is very important for the family head to make rules for all family members. That should be followed by all. For example, during meal times and sleeping time smartphones or any use of the device should be restricted.
No screen time in bedrooms
No screen time in front of the dining table
It will help you in the positive development of your kid and also in managing their screen time. Because they will experience a healthy time with family during meal times and sleep times. It will help you in bringing your kid very close to their family. Moreover, it has other several positive outcomes as well. So, your kid will learn through behaviors indirectly. And it will not feel them that they are being ordered and restricted.
Read Books with your kids:
Again, you need to change your behaviors to change your kids. So, plan your schedule and set a specific time for book reading. At that time, you must read books that are aligned with the interest of your kids. For example, if they love sports then you must read books that are related to sports or about a sportsperson if they love fictional characters then you must read them.
Planing such types of healthy activities will help you in reducing the school kids’ screen time. Moreover, you need to need to be more creative to create interest in reading. For example, you can play a quiz with your kids and let them allow you to ask. So, it will be just like fun for them and will help you in developing book reading habits and indirectly will reduce kids’ screen time.
Read More: 9 The Best Books to Start Reading Habitual Now
Plan outdoor activities:
Outdoor activities are such a great pleasure for kids. But it’s up to you how you can manage and directs their attention towards this. If you don’t have space for outdoor activities you can bring some sports tools and other playing objects that can be easily adjusted within the room. For example:
- Table Tennis
- Carrom
- Archery
- Backyard Football
- Basement Skateboarding
- Hoola Hooping
- Treadmill Workout
No worries, if it is expensive for you to buy. You can plan it on your own by seeing tutorials from youtube. There are hundreds of videos available that help you in planning physical activities within your home with a very less amount.
Therefore, when you will plan with kids they will enjoy your company. In this way, they will be close to you, will listen to you, and most importantly they will get less time for the screen.
Organize weekend trips
Going to outside on a trip is such a great pleasure for kids. Not only they will feel life but also it positively impacts on their mind and body. I am mentioning weekend trips because it greatly helps in reducing the kids’ screen time.
But remember you go outside for a trip don’t bring your smartphones with them. Also, you must avoid using it. Because, you (mother, father, or guardian) are just like a role model for them they copy your behaviors.
“Your kids require you most of all to love them for who they are, not to spend your whole time trying to correct them.”
― Bill Ayers
So, it’s up to you how you can teach them to spend a healthy time outside. How to enjoy life and the moments with family. It’s the time you can shape their love and attachment with you and your family. So, after going home they will be able to preserve this attachment and love for their family. Interestingly, in this way, their attention can be diverted from screen time to their family.
Arrange their friends’ gathering or party:
Interestingly, every human being enjoys their friends’ company no matter what’s their age is. So, after two or three weeks try to arrange a small friends’ gathering of your kids. Because in this way, your kid will be more attached to you by making them happy.
You need to convey to your child that he/she is important for you that’s why you care about their happiness by arranging such events for you. It will help your child to trust you and to understand you and that’ why they will follow you. When they will follow you it will be easier for you to reduce their screen time.
Don’t scold kids when they disturb you while working household work:
It’s a very common behavior in kids. They try to do what a mother or father or anyone in the house is doing. Because they want to copy you. But most of the time we scold our kids by saying don’t do it, don’t disturb me, and so on.
It’s a very common behavior in kids. They try to do what a mother or father or anyone in the house is doing. Because they want to copy you. But most of the time we scold our kids by saying don’t do it, don’t disturb me, and so on.
You know it’s the best time to engage them with activities. When you are doing something like washing clothes or cleaning if your kids want to do it let them do it. Because if you will discourage them or scold them they will try to spend their time in other unhealthy activities. And also they will not follow you nor they will reduce their screen time.
So, let them busy with you by doing the small task for you like folding clothes, washing clothes, cleaning the home, and so on. Because it will help them to spend a healthy time by doing activities along with learning from you. Interestingly, it will also positively impact their development and will bring positive things at their younger age.
Excessive Screen Time Effects on School Kids:
However, it is very important to access your kids screen time. After that, you will be able to know how harmful it is and what should you do to overcome it. Therefore, here are some harmful effects of excessive use of School Kids Screen time:
- Excessive use of School kids Screen time can cause severe sleep problems that lead to both physical and mental problems in children.
- Therefore, excessive screen time may lead to lower grades in school because their mind and interests are distracted from their homework and studies. So, their interest shifted towards other things instead of studies and healthy activities.
- By using electronic devices school kids are lacking the book reading habit. They want to use technology for their studies such as reading on phone, watching videos, and so on, instead of reading books. So, parents are facing a lot of issues in developing the reading habits in their school-going kids.
- By using screens all the time their concentration can decrease with time on their family, friends, and social gatherings. Therefore, it is really bad for the kids in the perspective of their personality development. Because parents will face issues when they will be grown up.
- Due to the excessive use of screen time school kids have no time for physical activities. They don’t want to play with friends. So, it also leads to psychological and physical health issues at a young age.
- However, lack of physical activities can cause the issue of gain weight. Surprisingly, with the extensive use of technology, the issue of weight problems is now an international health issue, especially in kids.
So, the above mentioned are some most common negative effects of excessive use of screens by school kids. It is also a big challenge for parents now to manage their school kids screen time in the best way. Because school kids are never too young for using a screen time plan.
Final Words:
However, if you want to teach something to your kids you need to practice it first. Because you are the role model for your kids. If you will not use much screen obviously they will not. In the same way, if you are using a screen all the time in front of your kid, then how is it possible for you to reduce your kid’s screen time? So, it’s all up to you the rest of the things are just for helping you to do it in the best way.
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