Digital Detox

     We parents recall going outside and riding our bikes, playing basketball, sitting in a circle and talking to our friends, catching lightning bugs—anything to be outside in the fresh air. We did not have an ipad, iphone or tablet to entertain us. Not that there is anything wrong with our new technology to teach us, show us new ideas and bring the world to our fingertips.

     It is a wonderful thing to be able to ask Google the name of a song, a movie or even a nation to help get homework done. And in the grocery store, calming an antsy toddler is simple with a Disney movie playing on your iphone. Suddenly, a tot can happily ride in the grocery cart. Why not flip the script, though? Pack plastic fruits in a bag and have your child find them in the store as you browse. Or ask your little ones to find the color of the green beans, bananas and hamburger. Keep them occupied watching for other children in the store or smiling at the deli manager as he hands you the macaroni salad. Looking around instead of down will inspire your child to ask questions, be more creative and learn to entertain himself!

     Reward your little one with the opportunity to watch his favorite movie on the screen on the drive home. Then, when you get home, set the grocery bags on the floor and have him see all you purchased—maybe even help you put things away. This is a way to keep your child involved with his surroundings and away from the screen for a little bit of time.

     Remember, too much screen time and regular exposure to poor-quality programming have been linked to obesity, inadequate sleep schedules and insufficient sleep, behavior problems, delays in language and social skills development, violence, attention problems and less time learning.

     Keep in mind that unstructured playtime is more valuable for a young child’s developing brain than is electronic media. Children younger than age 2 are more likely to learn when they interact and play with parents, siblings and other children and adults.

     By age 2, children may benefit from some types of screen time, such as programming with music, movement and stories. By watching together, you can help your child understand what she is seeing and apply it in real life. However, passive screen time shouldn’t replace reading, playing or problem-solving.

     The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use, except for video chatting, by children younger than 18 months. If you introduce digital media to children ages 18 to 24 months, make sure it is high quality and avoid solo media use. For children ages 2 to 5, limit screen time to one hour a day of high quality programming.

     As your child grows, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work as well. You will need to decide how much media to let your child use each day and what’s appropriate. Consider applying the same rules to your child’s real and virtual environments. In both, play with your child, teach kindness, be involved and know your child’s friends and what your child does with them. Also, keep in mind that the quality of the media your child is exposed to is more important than the type of technology or amount of time spent.

     To ensure quality screen time, make sure you preview programs, games and apps before allowing your child to view or play with them. Organizations such as Common Sense Media have programming ratings and reviews to help you determine what’s appropriate for your child’s age. Better yet, watch, play or use them with your child.

     Also, seek out interactive options that engage your child, rather than those that just require pushing and swiping or staring at the screen. And, of course, use parental controls to block or filter inappropriate internet content.

     Keep your children close to you during screen time so you can supervise their activities and ask them regularly what programs, games and apps they’ve played with during the day. If you find something inappropriate, don’t chastise your children. Watch the programming with them and discuss what you are both watching. Also educate your child about advertising and commercials.

     In addition, avoid fast-paced programming, which young children have a hard time understanding, and violent content and apps with a lot of distracting content. Eliminate advertising on apps because young children have trouble telling the difference between ads and factual information.

     As the media is showing us, certain sites such as Facebook, TikTok and others can lure older children in. Keep that line of communication open and be ever watchful about what your kids are posting.

10 Healthy Tech Habits for You to Try:

1. Instead of a phone alarm, find a cute, old-fashioned alarm clock to place by your child’s bed.
2. Make a “bed” for your child’s phone. Try a shoebox with a snuggly little blanket inside so it can sleep warmly! Place it in the living room away from your child’s bed.
3. Select books to read before bed. Make it a game. What are we thinking about today? Batman? The stars? Football? Your child can select which for you to read to her or to read herself. Drowsy eyes happen when kids think themselves to sleep.
4. Get an aquarium and place it in your child’s room. It’s mesmerizing and teaches responsibility.
5. Place a radio on the bedside table. Tune in a calming station.
6. Utilize the phone and set its timer for a few hours. During those hours, your child can build Legos, play with play dough, play an instrument or go outside for a walk.
7. Close the laptop.
8. Call Grandma and actually talk for a bit.
9. Write in a journal in cursive! Give your child starts. For example, what is your favorite class at school? What would you like for lunch tomorrow? What is the best thing that happened to you today? Never correct or critique what he or she writes.
10. Try to keep their phones away from the dinner table—and follow suit yourself. At least a couple days a week!

To ensure screen limits in your home, try these tips:

• Encourage unplugged, unstructured playtime. This means no screens, no emails and no laptops. Period.
• Create tech-free zones or times, such as during mealtime or one night a week. Reward, reward, reward! The night there is no screen time, go get a milkshake or order in whatever they want to eat as a special prize.
• Discourage use of media entertainment during homework. Perhaps find one of those sound machines that play birds, ocean waves or nighttime sounds. White noise is a guaranteed imagination and concentration enhancer.
• Set and enforce daily or weekly screen time limits and curfews, such as no exposure to devices or screens one hour before bedtime.
• Consider using apps that control the length of time a child can use a device.
• Keep screens out of your child’s bedroom and consider requiring your children to charge their devices outside of their bedrooms at night.
• Eliminate background TV.
• Try turning Alexa off while you’re cooking, playing or having family time. She is a great asset but can become a handicap. Sometimes, we need to try to use our own brains to come up with song names. There is nothing wrong with having a dance party when you ask her to play your favorite song, but remember to set limits

            Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.

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