The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a difficult adjustment for many people who are trying figure out how to work while also parenting children at home. This unusual time together can bring opportunities as well, said Dr. Kevin Hayes a pediatrician with ThedaCare Physicians Pediatrics-Apple-ton.
“It’s important to keep things as normal as possible for our kids,” said Dr. Hayes. “These times have been anything but normal. So, it’s okay to make adjustments and be flexible where we can.”
It can be tough for parents to manage all the new responsibilities while keeping school-age kids on task, or while trying to care for young children as they’re also working from home. Allowing children and teens to entertain themselves in front of screens may be tempting, and it’s important to manage that time as well.
“Parents may need to allow for more screen time out of necessity, such as for online classes or communicating with friends,” Dr. Hayes said. “It’s still important to regulate time spent online, especially for younger children, when we can.”
Here are some suggestions to manage screen time:
For fun and entertainment, kids will need some screen time. Letting your kids know that you understand their needs is a simple way to reduce stress for everyone.
Offer additional screen time as a bonus. Try using extra screen time as an incentive for good behavior. If you go this route, be sure to let your child know exactly what is necessary to earn the extra time.
Let them also know what they can and cannot be viewing – keeping them safe online is critical during this time.
Try not to limit time when children are using screen time for social connectedness. Take advantage of technology to stay connected with friends and family, even if doing so means your child spends a little more time on screens than you typically allow.
Establishing a new, pandemic-adjusted schedule that includes online and offline time can help. You can create schedules that work for your family, building in school or learning time, outdoor time, reading or art time, communicating-with-friends time, and other activities.
“Having a schedule can help both your kids and you to navigate time at home,” Dr. Hayes said. “It gives your children a structure and stability to these strange, unstructured days, and offers you some windows to get your work done.”
Having a daily schedule also signals to your children the times when they’ll have your undistracted attention, and helps them to begin to manage their time independently as well as learn how to work around the needs of others in the family. The schedule should include time together, such as weekly board game nights, time to make dinner together, taking walks or making video calls with distant family members. Try activities like making family albums together or recording funny videos. Families can get creative about how they spend this time together, she said.
Dr. Hayes also explained it is important for parents to model healthy screen use.
“If you ask your child to put down the screen, you should do the same,” he said. “Lead by example and they will likely follow.”
Prioritizing wellness is also an important part of managing screen time. Dr. Hayes recommends looking at how the child is spending their time overall.
Ask yourself these questions:
Is my child sleeping enough and eating a somewhat balanced diet?
Are they getting some form of exercise every day?
Are they getting some quality time with family?
Do they use some screen time to keep in touch with friends?
Are they invested in schoolwork and keeping up with homework?
If you can answer yes to most of those questions, then it’s probably not a huge deal if your child is getting some extra screen time these days.
“Also, think about how technology can get kids moving - active video games and online exercise classes as a way to stay healthy at home,” he said. “This is a good solution because it provides both physical activity and entertainment.”
Dr. Hayes also wants parents to give themselves some grace.
“Right now, having compassion for yourself and your family is much more important than getting the rules just right,” he said. “This is new for all of us and we’re navigating this together.”
