Within days of returning to school, the daily routines for our boys are already evident. As I moved through Junior School classrooms this week, it was hard to believe we are only a couple of days back from a three-week break, with the impressive level of engagement.
As a parent of three children, I am overtly aware children will respond differently in the comfort of their own home, compared to that of the school environment amongst their peers and it may take a little longer to settle back into the ‘school’ routine. One of the most common topics that arises among routines at home from parents is ‘screen time’.
I am often reminded by my own children that life for them is different growing up in a digital age. For some children, especially in recent years through previous Covid restrictions, screens to some degrees were a lifeline for children. They enabled them to learn, work, create, communicate and stay socially connected.
The flipside is that overuse and misuse of screens can take its toll on kids’ mental, physical and emotional health and wellbeing, creating issues with everything from face-to-face socialising and focus to falling asleep.
Like with many elements in life, I believe the key to screen use is balance. However, expecting your son to self-manage his device use might be a bit of a stretch. Here are some tips to help assist your son:
Establish screen-based rules
I’m pretty sure that without boundaries growing up, my son would have remained on screens until his eyes were hanging out of his head. For your own sanity as parents develop some rules about what screens can be used for, when they can be used, where they can be used and for how long they can access them.
- What – always be aware of what your son is accessing and put safeguards in place.
- When – limitations around use are essential and can be set on any device.
- Where – Yes to shared spaces such as the living room; no to screens in the bedroom.
- How long – e.g. weekends only, two hours on weekend days or school holidays and keep sessions short, encourage active breaks.
Get the timing right
Once your son is on a screen, it’s going to be hard to get him off it, so encourage him to have breakfast, get dressed, be active or do his chores before he can plug into his device.
Primary-school aged children need around 9 to 11 hours sleep a night. Avoid device use in the hour before bed (screens can affect how quickly your son falls asleep) and keep screens out of the bedroom.
Be a screen-time role model
How we as parents use screens will have a major impact on our children’s screen use. Model good device use by muting notifications and putting limits on your own screen time – and sticking to them. Establish moments each day when the whole family is screen-free, such as mealtimes – a rule in our house, that allows you to have conversations without interruption. Figure out some screen alternatives you can do together, such as playing board games or going outdoors and being active.
Setting boundaries around screen time can be hard, especially at the moment with many parents juggling so much already, however, creating positive relationships with screens now will likely help you and your son well into the future.
Ben Gates, Head of Junior School