Do you too have to struggle with your kids and force them in order to shut down their gadgets and screen media? Do you and your children end up in tears this way?
Many women suffer from stress due to their children's excessive screen time and due to their own inability to come up with solutions to this problem.
Ever since technology has made its way forward, it has impacted the lives of everyone. Even of children under the age of 6. There’s no doubt that technology is our future and has many benefits of learning. Parents should introduce all sorts of gadgets to their children to keep pace with the modern world but they should do so in the correct way.
There are plenty of reasons why mothers allow their kids to have access to electronics and other gadgets at a young age. One of these reasons being that they would stay quiet while being engaged in some activity, while the mothers can perform the house chores and other work. Or because their baby would finish the food happily. Or sometimes they just simply give in to the child’s demands out of love
According to research, kids spend more than 7 hours a day using screen media rather than being indulged in any physical or an outdoor activity which results in a lot of harmful effects on your child’s mental and physical health! So, if you’re one of those moms who has placed an electronic gadget in your child’s hand, then you must beware of its detrimental effects on your child’s health!
Weakened Eyesight
Too much exposure to the screen can lead to weak eye sight. According to the doctors, natural daylight is very vital and critical to the developing eyes. If your child would spend many hours staring at the screen, this can cause eye irritation and eye fatigue or strain.
Lack of Attention
Screen time also affects your child’s brain development and learning. The more he is exposed to the screen, the lesser he would be curious about the environment and it would lead to little to no physical activity. Spending too much time in front of electronics also causes younger children to lack attention, memory, and communication skills. They filter out their attention and focus on one thing at one time. Sometimes, they do not even respond to their names if they’re highly involved in watching poems or cartoons on cell phones or tablets.
Obesity
Obesity is another factor that develops over time. Childhood obesity and screen time are both inter-linked. Playing games or watching videos on electronic devices are stationary activities and require no movement because of which there is no exercise in your child’s life which is the main cause of obesity. Screen times also disturbs your child’s sleeping pattern and the amount of sleep that he gets, which in return imbalances the hormones causing slowdown in the metabolic rate of the body, leading to weight gain.
We know setting limits or cutting screen times for your kids is not that easy! It would be really tough in the beginning, there will be floods of tears and tantrums but cutting the screen time to a reasonable and healthy amount is definitely worth it.
Preventive Measures
First things first, observe how much time they are spending on screen. Then start cutting it off slowly by telling or reasoning with your child. They would fight it first but adjust themselves later on.
Set an example for your children because they are more likely to follow your actions. So, if you spend more time using screen then they would want to do the same. Start interacting with your children! Instead of handing them the device, just talk or babble to them, spend time with them and observe their behavior and actions as much as possible.
Encourage them to take more part in physical activities such as going to parks, taking swings, running etc. Provide them with board and mind games such as building blocks, shapes etc. Get all sorts of tech screen devices out of your child’s room because according to a research, having screens in the room is linked to disturbed sleep patterns, low test scores and obesity etc. Storytelling and reading can also contribute in getting away from the screen; this will also expand their imagination.
Your child surely wouldn’t like this coming from you in the beginning but remind yourself that it’s better for him in the longer run!
Also Read: How To Keep Your Babies Warm And Cozy All Winters