The AAP recommends that children spend no longer than 120 minutes in front of a screen -TV, computer- per day. The goal is to promote active play and increase physical activity. A good strategy is to use those minutes as rewards for time spent in physical activites, completed chores and finished homework.
Sounds simple enough…but as I am writing this note I am thinking of all the children that I see playing with their parent’s cell phone.
It used to be that when I entered an exam room I would find a parent reading a book to their young one, or playing simple games, or just cuddleing. Nowadays the child is thumbing through the apps in mom’s cell phone or playing games in his own little device?
And this trend is not happening just at the doctor’s office. You can see it everywhere. Look around and see what families are doing in restaurants, car washes, movie theatres, all over!!!! Pay attention and you will find that adults, teens and children are all looking at a portable screens of some sort instead of looking at each other.
When tempted to check your emails, answer your texts, or just read something funny in your favorite blog remember that your children are watching you and it will be very hard to limit screen time since all they have known so far is the screen of your Iphone.