Setting A Schedule For Screen Time This Summer
Summertime can be a blast for kids. They can spend their days at recreational events, swimming, playing outside and more!
But it can also mean they are overindulging in screen time on their favourite devices!
Just because school is out, doesn’t mean you have to loosen up their schedule so they can do what they want, when they want.
Whether it is messing on their phone, tablet, television or gaming, you should set up a schedule for screen time this summer
5 Tips for Managing Screen Time This Summer
Too much screen time can affect your child’s development.
It is important to get them outside participating in fun activities just for them, or something the whole family can take part in. It helps to break up the days and ensure they stay active!
Check out my solutions and tips for managing screen time this summer for your children below.
Schedule
Set a limit on how much your child can play or use electronic devices each day. If you only allow 1 hour a day, tell them that, be very clear, and stick to it.
Allow them to choose when they get to use the screen time (between designated hours like 8-5) so that if you are away, they can do it when they return home.
You can also set a timer so they know that when the timer goes off they are done.
Screen Free Zones
Create screen free zones in your home, not only for your children, but the whole family.
Like no screen time at the dinner table, or in their bedrooms.
Also try to limit screen time late at night as it can make it harder for your child to fall asleep.
Be an Example
If your child watches you on your phone constantly, they will want to mimic that. Make sure that you take a break from your screen time as well!
Take the time to play with them, be interactive, and try not to be on your phone constantly.
As a blogger this one is tough for me since my work is done through my computer and phone.
With that said, summer is a time where I take on less client work, cut back my blog schedule, and spend more time with the kids.
When I do have work to be done, I get up before the kids to have a few hours to work. I also do a lot of my blogging in the late evening once the children are in bed.
Most days I am up by 6:00 am to catch those few hours of uninterrupted work and I don’t go to bed until 1:00 – 2:00 am.
Get Outside
Get outside with your kids as much as possible. Play in the water, have water balloon fights, sidewalk chalk, create a garden to tend to, or other outdoor activities.
One of our favourite things to do as a family is an evening walk after dinner. It is a great way to get active, elevate moods and be away from the screens!
Encourage your child to get outside to play and have fun!
Activities
Create activities that your child can help come up with to enjoy the summer.
You can even create a bucket list of things they want to do. From creating a bug collection, hiking, fishing for a day, reading five books over the summer and so on.
Just make fun activities to keep them busy and distract them from wanting to be on their tablet or phone.
Summer fun doesn’t have to break the bank either, check out ways to save on summer fun for the whole family!
I know that these may seem like simple solutions, but when you utilize them you might be surprised at how effective they can be. As long as you stay dedicated and enforce the rules, your children will follow!
Which tips will you implement in your home this summer, or do you have a tip to share? Let us know in the comment section below!
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Victoria Ess says
Getting outside and setting schedules are things that I want to implement this summer!