How we Limit Screen Time in Our Home

Ahh, the sensitive topic of screen time. Either you give too much or you’re too strict and don’t give at all. This post isn’t meant to be a judgmental one on any parents decision on screen time but rather my own journey and decisions I have come to for my family.

Since Safa was born, I have tried my hardest to avoid screen time as much as possible. For the first two years, she rarely watched any tv. Very few times when we were on a long drive I would put something on usually Sesame Street for her. After 2, she started to like watching Sesame Street. She usually only watched one episode a day. I was pretty strict about it because I was working full time and the time I had with her I didn't want it to be spent in front of a screen. I soon found out I was expecting and that’s when it became really tough, especially in the first and last trimester. I was exhausted and not getting any sleep and resorted to it on those tough days. Although, I always made a conscious effort to steer away from it. After Musa came and I adjusted to two kids here are some tips I have found helpful for screen time. When I use the word screen time: I only allow Safa to watch on an actual television. I don’t give her an iPad or my iPhone anymore. I have in the past but I have seen that it is very addicting, dangerous and reduces her from other activities.

Don’t hand them a screen

This is extremely important. Ipads and iPhones should not be given to toddlers unattended especially with all the dangerous videos out there that we’ve been hearing of. My main reason for not liking an iPad or iPhone is that the videos especially on Youtube keep going and the freedom for the toddler to click and keep changing the videos. This really affects their attention span and gives them immediate gratification. They get easily bored and keep clicking through videos. This is also important when out at restaurants or stores. Sometimes kids can be tough in public, but their kids! They shouldn’t be expected to have perfext behavior. When out I’ll try to bring crayons or something she can play with if she does get antsy. So for Safa, she only watches on a television and currently she only watches Daniel the Tiger.

Create a routine

I found that with Safa that having her watch TV at the same time everyday was more successful then randomly allowing her to watch. When It wasn’t in our routine, I saw her asking for it more and getting upset if I said no. Now, she gets to watch one episode of Daniel the Tiger after her nap. She knows after the show is over, her TV time is done. She actually will close the TV herself and find a different activity.

Limit it

Tell your child they are only allowed a certain amount a day. For toddlers under 2 years, it is not recommended they get any screen time. Between 2 and 5 it is recommended up to maximum 1 hour a day. The only exception I make for this is when we occasionally have movie nights, especially on these snowy winter days. Other then that she typically watches one episode that is 30 minutes a day.

Watch with them

Safa, thankfully, only watches Daniel the Tiger which I know I can trust. PBS Kids is a great channel. I personally only prefer shows on this channel. She used to like Sesame Street but nowadays Daniel it is!

Let them be bored

Ahhh, I’m sure we’ve heard this one. I hear it a few times a week! This is in fact good for them. This is when they’re real creativity comes out. It’s hard because we want to entertain our kids all the time but eventually as toddlers get older they will find ways to play independently.

Model Behavior

The most obvious but never discussed. Since I don’t want Safa to have too much screen time, I have to lead by example. This is definitely the hardest because I actually LOVE TV. However in our house, we do not watch our own shows or turn on the TV when the kids are awake. I only watch TV when they are sleeping. The harder part is our phones. We have our phones everywhere we go. I honestly do struggle with this one but really try to make a conscious effort not to be on my phone when with my kids. Our children learn more by our actions then our words.

At the end end of the day, we’re all trying to be the best for our kids. Every family is different and different people have different responsibilities. Some have more people to look after and other family members to cater to. The important part is that we make a conscious effort to reduce screen time use. It’s hard now but will definitely be worth it in the long run.