{"id":8133,"date":"2023-09-10T09:39:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-10T09:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/?p=8133"},"modified":"2024-02-16T07:24:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T07:24:04","slug":"How-to-Set-Limits-on-Screen-Time-for-Kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/blog\/How-to-Set-Limits-on-Screen-Time-for-Kids\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Limits on Screen Time for Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11 Ways To Reduce Your Children\u2019s Device Usage<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every parent knows all how helpful phones and tablets can be when it comes to keeping your kids occupied and entertained. However, when kids start spending more and more time in front of their screens, and less time on activities that help with their development, it may be time to start setting limits on screen time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, when it comes to putting limits in place and reducing your kids\u2019 screen time, this process is much easier said than done and can be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to put limits in place and set healthy boundaries when it comes to your kids using devices that won\u2019t cause major tantrums.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep reading to find out what our tips are for limiting screen time for kids.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Impact That Too Much Screen Time Can Have on Children\u2019s Development<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to an ongoing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abcdstudy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study from the National Institutes of Health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (NIH), children that spend approximately 2 hours per day using screens have lower thinking\/reasoning power and language processing ability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Too much screen time has also been<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org\/hometown-health\/speaking-of-health\/children-and-screen-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> linked to:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obesity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irregular sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Behavioural problems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diminished academic performance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developments delays<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Much Screen Time Kids Should Have<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a parent, you know what\u2019s best for your children, so you should always set limits that you feel are appropriate. However, if you\u2019d like a bit of guidance on the topic, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cps.ca\/uploads\/about\/ScreenTimePoster-EN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canadian Paediatric Society recommends<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that children under two years old not have any screen time at all. For children under five years old, screen time should be limited to less than one hour. For children five and older, they recommend limiting screen time to less than two hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tips For Reducing Your Child\u2019s Screen Time<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking to start setting boundaries when it comes to your kids and their devices but don\u2019t know where to begin, consider these tips.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set an Example<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a long, hard day, it\u2019s easy to get sucked into your phone, especially around your kids. However, if you want to limit your kids\u2019 screen time, you\u2019ll need to lead by example and spend less time looking at your own phone, tablet, and TV while your children are present.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep The TV Off When Nobody Is Watching It<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s common to leave the TV on as you move around the house. However, in order to discourage your kids from watching too much television, create a TV schedule and only allow the television to be on during set times.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put the Screens Away At Least an Hour Before Bedtime<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Too much screen time can interfere with sleep, so always take away devices at least one hour before bed to help your kids wind down and have a better night\u2019s sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t Frame Your Limits as a Punishment<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your kids feel like they are being punished by having their screen time reduced, it can lead to resentment and rebellion. So, when setting screen time limits, explain to your kids why you are implementing new rules and list some of the amazing benefits of having less screen time. By making this sound like a positive change and providing alternative activities they will enjoy, your children are less likely to react negatively to the new rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start Introducing New Activities<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduce some fun new games, toys, and activities as alternatives to screen time so your kids will have something else to focus their attention on and won\u2019t miss their devices.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pick the Right Time to Start Introducing Limits<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid implementing new rules regarding screen time right before or during major life changes or during any busy time to make the transition easier on your kids.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some examples of times you should hold off on setting screen time limits:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 0px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right before or during a move\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before or during a family trip<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the beginning or end of the school year<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During a spousal separation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right after the loss of a family member<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be Patient<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making any kind of changes to a child\u2019s routine is bound to result in some hiccups, so be patient as your kids adjust to these new limits and learn how to live their lives without excess screen time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t Introduce Screens Too Early<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to prevent your kids from being dependent on screen time for entertainment, avoid introducing screens before two years old. As they get older, only allow devices during certain times, like long car rides and plane trips.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teach Your Kids About the Dangers of Too Much Screen Time<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to educate your kids on the dangers of the internet and encourage digital literacy at a young age. When your kids understand the risks of too much screen time, they are less likely to abuse their device privileges.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use Apps to Control Usage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If setting limits on screen time isn\u2019t working, look into the settings on your devices and see if there is a way to block access to apps during certain times. If your device doesn\u2019t have this type of setting, there are also some apps that you can download to control screen time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce Data Limits and Track Usage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reducing your data limit and tracking usage are great ways to hold yourself accountable and set firm screen time limits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comwave<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers tools and features that make it easy to monitor and manage your family\u2019s internet usage so you can keep track of how much data your kids are using.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a look at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to learn more about our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/landing\/landing-purchase-bundles\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">plans and pricing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and find an internet package that works for you and your family.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>11 Ways To Reduce Your Children\u2019s Device Usage Every parent knows all how helpful phones and tablets can be when it comes to keeping your kids occupied and entertained. However, when kids start spending more and more time in front of their screens, and less time on activities that help with their development, it may&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/blog\/How-to-Set-Limits-on-Screen-Time-for-Kids\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How to Set Limits on Screen Time for Kids<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8133"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8133"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8869,"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8133\/revisions\/8869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comwave.net\/residential\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}