- Multiplying the hours of leisure, in summer we turned to television and tablet to entertain children. Considerations Criar.cat on display consumption patterns, difficulties in setting limits, moments to be avoided as a resource, etc. have been collected. And we've brought them here.
How many hours a day? According to the World Health Organization, children under the age of 2 should not watch television or play with screens. For children aged 2 to 5 years, it should not be more than an hour in front of the screen a day, and the less you look at the screen, the better. It’s not so much about what you do looking at the screen, but about what you don’t do when you look at the screen, how long it takes you to play, to explore, to create…
You have to learn to get bored. We should keep children from getting in front of the screen every time they get bored. Boredom is also a learning process to adapt to the new rhythms, to develop patience and self-control, to accommodate the imagination…
It gets angry when you remove the tablet. Setting limits is not always easy and many children get angry when removing the tablet or any technological device. According to the experts, there is dependence behind this overreaction. It is best to manage this moment of end beforehand, for example to say at the beginning “we will see a chapter and it is already”, or to notify “in five minutes we will shut it down”, to set the alarm…
It’s not so much about what you do looking at the screen, but about what you don’t do when you look at the screen, how long it takes you to play, to explore, to create…
Instead of banning, balancing and being close. That is the recommendation of many experts: instead of banning, balancing consumption and watching television with children, commenting, maintaining educational content, teaching to make rational use… It is not about controlling, but about protecting.
No display at lunch time. Eating watching the screen is not a good option, it breaks the family time and also the children are so hypnotized, they don't control what they eat, nor do they know if they are full. Precisely, when you learn to eat the worst is to put the screen on the child, and that is when it is most used, but the child is being prevented from detecting flavors and textures, looking at food, learning to grab the spoon and fork…
Not before you slept. The light from the screens does not help to relax, on the contrary, and it is not advisable to watch television before going to sleep. It's better to read a story, for example.
Every house has its formula. How much and how do we consume the adults in the house the screens? What about the children? What limitations and guidelines are the most appropriate to encourage coexistence in the home and link the responsible use of screens with other actions? Every home is a world, and every home must make the diagnosis and the way.