When the weather outside is frightful, a tablet may seem like a delightful distraction for kids home on winter break. However, winter break is a great opportunity for youngsters to unplug and heed the seasonal imperative to slow down, relax and take a break from screens altogether.
School-age children spend a lot of time looking at devices these days, for better or worse. From video games and phones to in-school computers, kids generally spend a great deal of their free time looking at a screen. We are only about one generation past a no-screen upbringing, and are just beginning to understand the impact of these devices on the physical and mental health of young people.
Given that screens are such a big part of everyone’s daily routine, it may surprise you to know the recommended limits for children (and remember, this includes television).
Under age 2
It’s ok to let a very young child participate in a video chat with grandma, for example, but other than that, media at this age is highly discouraged.
Ages 2 to 5
Screen time should be limited to an hour or less per day and should be educational and supervised, say experts.
Ages 5 to 8
Keep monitoring the content that children this age consume,
and limit to two hours or less.
For teens and pre-teens, decisions about screen time fall largely to the family, but bear in mind that there are far healthier ways to spend free time. Perhaps most obvious is that time in front of a computer or TV is sedentary, and has in many cases replaced the active play that children have enjoyed in the past. Other concerns related to increased screen time include pain from poor posture, sleep problems, weight gain and, from social media, even anxiety.
While screentime in our daily lives is here to stay, there are steps you can take to limit its impact on the physical and mental well-being of your family. The simplest (but perhaps the most difficult to enforce) is to limit screen time and replace it with other, more active, pursuits. These activities could focus on either physical or mental exercise, and ideally, a combination of both.
Bundle up and play outside (We’re Oregonians — we play in the rain!)
Take a family walk
Read a book
Play a board game
Start a relaxing hobby like crochet or drawing
Participate in after-school sports
Do homework
Making a point to go analog regularly is a great way to break from the unnatural stimulation of glaring screens, social media and video games — and tap into innate creativity and physical abilities.
Brought to you by: santiamhospital.org
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