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SearchShould parents limit their child's screen time now that school is back in session? A pediatrician offers some insight.
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CLEVELAND - Whether it’s a tablet, TV or smartphone – getting kids away from their screens can be tough.
But now that they’re back in school, it’s more important than ever to set screen time limits.
“We want to definitely try to limit kids' screen time use to less than two hours a day. However, that gets really hard, especially when you introduce cellphones into the picture,” explained Gina Robinson, MD, a pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
Without limits, Dr. Robinson said endless scrolling can disrupt homework, sleep and other parts of a child’s routine.
Dr. Robinson encourages parents to talk with their kids about screen time and set clear expectations before they pick up their phone or turn on the TV.
That way, you avoid interrupting kids in the middle of a show or game.
Since strict time limits can be tough to stick to, she recommends other boundaries, like no screens during meals as well.
She added it’s key for parents to demonstrate these good habits, too.
“Our kids are looking to us as examples. They want structure, they want guidance. When we're talking about healthy eating, our kids are looking at our plates, and they're going to eat what we eat,” Dr. Robinson said. “The same goes for screen time. If we want them to build good screen time habits, we have to model them ourselves as parents.”
Dr. Robinson said introducing these healthy habits early on can help kids stick with them as they get older.
