It would be interesting to hear how other Explorer parents handle this issue, in light of the the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that media use of all types should be limited to two hours a day and that kids under two years shouldn't have any screen time at all.
Do you think that's too much? Too little? What kind of rules do you have in your house and how do you enforce them? Comment below and let's exchange strategies. I'm sure Explorer Teachers have some thoughts on this, too!
Quoting Linda Murray, editor-in-chief of BabyCenter, I thought the article's conclusion was a good reminder about modeling:
Most important, the experts say, is a tip that might be the most difficult one for parents in Silicon Valley: to set a good example for their young children. That can be hard, when "we've got our BlackBerry, and we're checking it every second," Murray says. If parents want their kids to exercise, read and spend time with their friends, they need to do the same themselves. "That's really the most powerful teacher," she says.
Okay, so looks like I have to go first. My five-year-old probably gets a total of 1-2 hours of screen time a day during the week and more on the weekends. That's usually an hour of TV in the morning (he gets up at 6-6:30 am without fail) before going off to school at 7:30. Neither my husband nor I can engage very well in the morning, so it's really for us, not him:)
ReplyDeleteHe also really likes to play games on an old iPhone of ours and we try to keep that at 30 minutes a day. He does that in the afternoon. They (him and my 2.5 year-old) might watch a 1/2 show while I'm working on dinner or if Dad is watching a hockey/football/baseball game or NASCAR race, then they'll watch that in the evening.
Other than the sporting events, both of them are limited to watching what's on PBS: Curious George, Cat in the Hat, Dinosaur Train, and Dragon Tales. And if we put a video in, it's rarely a movie (not for any other reason except that that's not their preference), it's usually a John Deere video.
My two-year-old probably watches the same as his brother (averaging 1 to 2 hours a day). All of this does not count time watching TV in the mini-van, though. Which we try very hard not to do running around town. But sometimes mommy needs it quiet!