When my kids were young, I was envious of other families who had movie nights. I imagined them cuddled up under blankets sharing a bowl of popcorn.
In our house, movie night ended with an hour-long tantrum.
And so, we avoided watching TV as a family at night. We knew our daughter couldn’t make the transition from screentime to bed, so it wasn’t fair to put her in that position simply because we wanted to veg out on the couch.
Fast forward a few years, everyone’s older, more mature, and we watch movies and TV shows together regularly. Even at night before bed.
YOUR CHILD AND SCREENS
It’s a good reminder that screentime and screen use can, and should, change and evolve as your children grow. Starting young gives you the chance to set a healthy foundation around screens. But even if your kids are older now, it’s not too late to evaluate and decide the boundaries around screens.
Like everything in parenting, screen use will look different in every family. Rather than comparing your child’s screentime to others their age, I’d encourage you to think critically about what your unique child needs.
Maybe you’ll find, like we did, that your child cannot manage much screen use right now.
Maybe you’ll find that your child seems to do OK with screens, but needs guidance around safety online.
Maybe you’ll realize that it’s your own screentime that needs to be evaluated.
This article is written by Nicole Scharz. To view it in its entirety, click here.