LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With schools, libraries and even playgrounds closed, it can be difficult to manage kids' screen time during this ongoing quarantine.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids are normally spending about seven hours on screens—and the number keeps rising as more children are stuck in their houses. Just like adults using their computers to work from home, children are using screens to do schoolwork, keep in touch with their friends and keep themselves entertained.
So what can you do to ensure your kids are not spending too much time on their devices? Here's a few tips:
- Make sure you keep a schedule: Try to schedule out every day, including time for sleep, schoolwork and exercise. This will allow you to see how much time your kids will have the opportunity for screen time
- Monitor your kids' screens: Keep track of how often your kids is using their device for educational or entertainment purposes. Encourage using sites that stream workouts or keep their brains moving.
- Don't feel guilty: Every family is juggling a thousand things right now, and know you are doing your best.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has a screen time calculator that can help families make schedules to break up media use with more active, unplugged time.
The Family Media Plan can be found at healthychildren.org.
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