Technology and Toddlers
For many parents, the decision of how and when to allow your children to use technology can be a big decision with a lot of consideration.
There are so many opinions and when we compare our values with other people's opinions, it can cause parents to question themselves.
“Do I give my child the iPad every time I need a “break”?”
“What about when you don’t have the capacity to continue to say no?”
As parents too, we've been there!
The truth is, you know your child best. As a parent you must respond to your child's needs but also know the facts -- the good and the bad… a guide if you will!
The American Association of Pediatrics gives detailed recommendations on screen time. So much so, it can be a little bit overwhelming when you want to apply these guidelines to your family's life! So here’s the breakdown:
>18 months: Babies at this age should get no screen time at all (unless video chatting, which is considered quality interaction time with others).
2+ years: Today’s children are spending seven hours a day on average using entertainment media. Including televisions, computers, phones and other electronics.
>2 years: Evidence continues to show limited educational benefits of media for children younger than 2 years.
These are just some facts, but how do we control this?
We get asked all the time, “I know my child has too much screen time but I don't even know where to begin on limiting it.”One of my new favorite resources I found was a family media plan. It is individualized for your specific child, teen, or family and can find a balance between screen time and other activities. It also encourages age-appropriate critical thinking, digital literacy, and supports open family communication. The best part about this is you can make your own free Family Media Plan here!
Our Therapists’ Strategies for Screen Time
The Coin System
This is where kids earn screen time or have a bank of screen time. We use the little plastic coins that represent a certain amount of screen time (1 coin = 15 minutes). This activity can look different for each age group, but ultimately it is a great way to practice having a designated time for technology. An example would look like starting the day with 3 coins, and being able to use your coins to watch 3 shows that day.
Three C’s
Content: quality matters
Child: you know your child better than anyone else
Context: how we interact with our children around the media
Finally, we wanted to round up a few of our favorite shows that we find both beneficial and take care of the entertaining part for your child!
Beat bugs
Beat Bugs follows five bug friends as they learn the world around them and many life lessons. It even uses Beatles songs!
Miss. Rachel
We love this one! Super educational and also beneficial for that little that is learning words or struggling with speech as her pronunciation is amazing for babies and toddlers.
Bluey
Bluey is a super cute show! It focuses on the themes of family and growing up.
Octonauts
The characters in this series often need to learn biological or behavioral facts about them in order to save the day.
Tumble Leaf
On amazon prime, the show is based on a blue fox named Fig that plays each and discovers adventure, friendship, and love along the way!
Sources:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/10-best-toddler-shows-to-stream-5191779
https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/policies-on-children-and-media/