If your children spend their day in front of the television, the computer or their phone, and you don’t know what to do, there are 3 rules to counter this excessive screen time in children.
Screens, a real scourge for parents (much to the chagrin of children), are often a source of conflict within the family home. Because children could spend hours there without blinking, it is essential to set limits for their own good. Numerous studies have shown that excessive screen use in children can actually harm their intellectual abilities, their ability to concentrate and their sleep.
During the broadcast Oprah Daily hosted by American presenter Oprah Winfrey, Doctor Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist recognized on Instagram, spoke about parental control over screens. She explained the best way to set it up so that it would be well received by the children. Here, according to her, are the 3 golden rules to apply to restrict screens for children.
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1. Use parental controls
For a child to be able to regulate himself, it is important to establish rules and ensure that he respects them. Still young, the child is not always able to be autonomous and understand what is good or not for him. It is therefore important to support them in this self-regulation process and to warn them of the potential dangers of the Internet. For this, it is recommended to use parental controls in order to monitor the content they view. In addition to setting a time limit on screens so that they don’t spend their days on them, psychologist Becky Kennedy advises integrating parental controls on all devices to which the child has access. According to her, many children are able to program their devices as “adults” and thus have no limits in terms of content. This is, in his eyes, considered alarming, because parents are losing “the ability to get a sense of what’s going on out there”.
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The most appropriate, according to the expert, would be to restrict social networks as much as possible and to warn children of the dangers there such as cyberbullying or the presence of images that could shock them. So that your children respect your decision, it is important to explain to them the reason for this restriction: the goal is not for them to take it as a punishment but rather as a prevention of the dangers of the WEB.
2. Set clear expectations and boundaries
Before your child uses their devices, the specialist advises putting conditions in place and ensuring that they are well understood so that they can be applied. For example, you can set a screen time that absolutely must not be exceeded. In addition to making him responsible, you will allow him to acquire the concept of time and manage it as he wishes, a great way to make him responsible. You can also state the sites that he is authorized to consult or not and have him repeat them to ensure that he understands correctly. Then make your child understand that, if he does not respect the conditions set out, access to the screens will be strictly prohibited.
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This fear of removing screens will prevent him from wanting to disobey and will thus instill in him the principle of trust so as not to betray you. Dr. Kennedy also indicates that it is best not to leave any screens in children’s bedrooms so as not to disrupt their sleep. Furthermore, one of its fundamental principles put forward by the psychologist is to prohibit children from accessing screens after 6 p.m. because “it affects their sleep”. It is best to accustom them to calm activities such as reading a book or a manual activity to help them fall asleep.
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3. Prepare for your children’s reactions
The restrictions will inevitably lead to protests. Dr. Kennedy recommends that parents prepare for possible crises: “I know my children will protest in the end, and I am preparing to tolerate it”, she confides. It is therefore important to stand your ground and not reverse your decisions at the risk of disturbing the child and no longer being credible.
By reversing your decision, you give your children the impression that it is possible to negotiate additional time and that they are therefore in a position of strength. It is necessary to remain authoritarian and firm, making them understand that if they do not respect the allotted time, the screens will be confiscated from them.