Screen Time Tips for Kids – How to Manage It

We’re living in crazy times. It’s the screen apocalypse, they’re everywhere! From your pockets to your living room. They’re there on your fridge, in your washing machine, and even in our air purifiers. Even though all mothers around the world sneer at its existence collectively, none of us seem to be able to take our eyes off it, not even them.

From reading the news to checking the time, to adding 9 + 10, to doom scrolling, our eyes are glued to the screen. So, it’s up to us to channel our inner Molly Weasly and do our best to take care of our kids and you guessed it, limiting screen time.

Yes, screens are inherently great. Even for kids! They can video call their grandparents, read their favourite stories, and even do homework. But screen time can spiral out of control and have adverse effects on your little ones, which is why screen time management is paramount.

Turns out, a lot! With the family sitting around gawking at their phones with the TV on in the background, excess screen time can be really bad. Especially for kids. Let’s take a look at just how bad it can be:

Obesity: Phones and TVs might be getting sleeker and slimmer every year, but the more time your kid spends on them, the more time they’re lazing around. When they consistently binge in FIFA career mode, they run the risk.) of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high BP.

Sleep Issues: Research has shown that blue light emitted from screens messes up with our brain’s sleep cycle which can make it difficult to enter your REM cycle. Your kid’s 30-minute power nap the next day might just become a two-hour hibernation.

Body Pain: We use our phones and scroll through reels in the worst possible positions at times. It’s almost like yoga if yoga were bad for you. These postures can cause neck and back pain and lower flexibility over time.

Depression: Many experts say that excess screen time has a connection with depression and anxiety. So, it’s best to stay away from scrolling through LinkedIn and seeing your backbencher friend become a “thought leader”.

Eye Strain: Staring at a screen for too long can cause irritation and dry eyes which can cause your kid to strain his eyes. Now you don’t want your child to be called ‘fly eyes’ when he joins school now, do you?

Now it’s your responsibility to ensure your child isn’t glued to a screen for hours straight. Who knew it would be so difficult to raise a child?

We’ve curated some of the best ways you can engage your kid while limiting screen time! No matter if a kid's barely got his first words out or he’s at an age where you regret he can even speak, we’ve got personalised ways to reduce their screen time!

0-18 Months: Babies this age aren’t going to be asking or crying perhaps to look at a screen. We would suggest the only time they can look at a screen is when they’re video calling friends and family.

Toddlers (18-24 Months): It can get a bit dicey from this age. While you put on Miss Rachel or Cocomelon to entertain your child while you get work done, this is where the addiction starts. Limit their screen time with high-quality educational content and co-viewing with parents.

Preschoolers (2-5 years): Your kid is going to come from preschool and complain that their friends were allowed to watch TV before sleeping, but now that you’re reading this blog, you know just how to limit their screen time! Not more than an hour of high-quality programming per day, with parental involvement, will be ideal.

Children (6+ years): Your kid is going to sneak into the living room at night to watch some Chhota Bheem or Ben 10, so remember to have a parental lock on your devices. But you can’t shelter them forever, so you can start allowing them to watch some kids' shows, but ensure it’s not more than 60-90 minutes a day a couple of hours before going to bed.

There are a plethora of shows that you can let your kid watch. Here are the Kofuku recommendations!

Molang: A wholesome twist on the classic ‘big friend, little friend’ trope

Bluey: THE kids show that needs no introduction.

Ask The Storybots: Take a question and spend the episode answering it.

How It’s Made: Get your child interested in engineering to make their grandparents proud!

Frog And Toad: Teach your kid to embrace differences!

Wild Kratts: The classic Nat Geo shows. Animated!

Blue’s Clues: Solve mysteries with the host and his cute lil blue dog, called, you guessed it, Blue!

The Who Was? Show: Make your kid a history buff by teaching them all about historical figures!

Remember, only the cool parents get to spend time with their kids. So, we would suggest you create plans and rules followed by everyone at home! A family that sticks together is a happy family.

Prioritize: Prioritize homework, chores, and physical activities before screen time. It might be years since we’ve done some mental math, so try to help your kid out with their homework and get their help to do some basic chores like setting up and clearing the table. This is even a great screen-free activity for you and your kids to do together!

TV Time Together: Remember the joy of watching Finding Nemo and Chein Kuli Ki Mein Kuli. Relive those memories and spend quality screen time with your kids. This will not only give them a fun time in front of the screen but they’ll also know how cool their parents are!

Reward For Hard Times: When your kid gets his first A, try to appreciate that and let them watch that extra episode or finish another game of FIFA. When you set boundaries and reward achievements, it can help them become more motivated to work hard!

Your kid might just break some rules and you’ll be forced to punish your little one. So, remember your kid understands the screen time rules you set and enforce consequences when they break them.

We know it’s going to be difficult to reprimand your kid, so remember to appreciate them when they stick to the set screen time rules, so they feel valued for their actions!

Managing screen time for kids is a huge part of being a modern parent. It’s your responsibility to teach them healthy technology usage so they don’t turn into tech zombies. Setting some healthy boundaries, encouraging screen time that's actually good for them, maintaining open communication, you can help your kids develop a balanced relationship with technology.

Remember to make sure screen time boosts their overall well-being and development, not turn them into couch potatoes with square eyes!