Author: Isabella loves writing articles related to kids & tech. A regular contributor for "http://www.nannyjobs.net/
Technology
is an everyday part of a child’s life these days. It’s also something
that is next to impossible to eliminate it, no matter how much a parent
may want to. Kids as young as two and three are commonly using apps on
smart phones and tablets, and by the time they enter school, computers
are a regular part of how they learn. So how do you set limits around
tech so your child can benefit from what it offers without being
overwhelmed by it? Here are some tips that can help.
Decide what’s right for your family. There isn’t a
right or wrong answer to how much technology should be a part of your
child’s life. For some families, allowing their child to have zero
exposure is the right choice. For other families, allowing their child
to play and learn on a tablet every day is the right choice. As a
parent, you have to decide what you’re most comfortable with and what
you feel is most beneficial to your child. Of course, this will change
as your child gets older. This is an issue that you’ll revisit and
revaluate often.
Make sure to look at the whole picture. Often,
parents don’t realize how much screen time their child is actually
getting because there are so many different pieces of the puzzle and it
often happens in small chunks of time. Keep a journal for a week to
really get an accurate idea of how much technology and screen time your
child is exposed to. Track TV time, including recorded and on demand
shows and DVDs, gaming time, including TV, computer, phone, tablet and
handheld deices, computer time and, finally, smart phone and tablet
time. Your child may not have access to all of those sources, but
there’s a good chance he has access to at least a few. Once you know how
much time your child is spending in front of each type of screen, you
can make a well-informed decision about any limits you want to put into
place.
Look at how it affects your child. Your child’s
personality, temperament and needs are big factors in deciding how much
tech time is appropriate for him. Carefully watch your child to see how
much the type of tech and the length of time he uses it affects him. Is
his tech time keeping him from doing other things he’d benefit from?
Does it leave him feeling agitated and high strung? Or does his tech
time help him learn or provide him something he couldn’t get anywhere
else? The limits you set will be influenced by your child, so awareness
is the first step. The affect may change over time, so stay vigilant
about checking in to make sure the limits meet his current needs.
Find ways to enjoy it together. When you use
technology together, whether watching a TV show, playing a video game or
exploring a new tablet application together, it changes the experience
for both you and your child. Having fun together is a wonderful way to
strengthen your relationship, to get to know your child better and to
show genuine interest in the things he’s interested in. This should
still be considered screen time, but it does put a different spin on
things.
Help your child understand her social media presence. Children
don’t have the capacity to fully understand that the things they post
online have far reaching and often permanent results. That doesn’t mean
you shouldn’t continue to warn them and give them strong boundaries
around their online behavior. Helping them make smart choices about what
information to share and what to keep private is a key way to help keep
them safe while enjoying an online life.
Teach your child to make smart choices for himself.
One of the goals of setting limits is to teach your child how to do that
for himself as he gets older. When your child gets to school age,
include him in the decision making process around setting limits with
technology. Outline appropriate boundaries, but allow him to have input
into what kind of tech he wants to use and how often he can use it. When
kids are part of the decision making process, they are much more likely
to stay within the limits set without argument. It may take a few
different tries to get something that both of you are happy with, but
having him be part of the process will teach him how to make smart
decisions. This way, when he’s faced with what to do at a friend’s house
or when he’s alone, he’ll have the tools to do the right thing.
Setting limits around tech with your kids can mean some tough
choices. However, setting limits is an essential part of helping
children learn to use technology sensibly.
