Tagged with 'parenting'

We’ve heard it for years – too much screen time is bad for kids’ mental and physical health. But recent research finds little evidence actually correlating screen time to negative physical, social, or emotional results. So, who should we listen to? And how much is too much?

The good news is that newer research actually highlights many benefits of screen time. Research conducted by experimental psychologist Andrew Przybylski at the Oxford Internet Institute found that kids who spent a few hours on their devices each day exhibited better well-being than those who spent none at all. Another researcher, UC Irvine psychologist Candice Odgers, agrees, pointing out that, for many kids, time spent online is positive. Says Odgers, "… if you go in and talk to kids, a lot of them are turning to the internet for social support, information about symptoms, and reported feeling better about themselves when they were online than when they were off. They actually were going online to feel better."

But it feels like there should be limits, right? We’ve all seen kids who seem physically incapable of pulling themselves away from their tablets and exhibit frustration, short-temperedness, or rude behavior after spending time on their digital devices. And we all believe in balance for our kids, right? Exploring all that childhood has to offer, on and off screen?

The most recent guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics agrees that “digital media has both positive and negative effects on healthy development.” And offers the following screen time limits, by age:

• 0-18 Months – No screen time other than video chatting.

• 18-24 Months – Limit screen time to high quality programming enjoyed together – not alone.

• 2-5 Years – 1 Hour a day of high-quality programming.

• 6 Years and Up – Consistent limits on time and type of media viewed.

For those of us with older kids, tweens, and teens, these guidelines may seem a little impractical. But don’t panic! The experts seem to agree that different solutions work for different families and that the answer to that burning question, “How much screen time is too much?” is actually pretty personal.

Below are our best tips and tricks for managing screen time, but remember, the bottom line seems to be “Mother (or Father, or Grandma, or Care Giver) knows best.”

1.It’s All About Balance

Screen time should not interfere with homework time, physical exercise, chores, or family time. Prioritize what’s important and let screen time be just one of many experiences your child has each day.

2. Check in Often

You know your kids best. Monitor their behavior during and after screen time – are they irritable? Tired? If so, cutting back might be beneficial. If they’re able to easily move on to another activity, a little more screen time might not hurt them.

3. Model Positive Limits

This one’s tough, but there’s something to the ol’ show, don’t tell. Let your kids see you participating in unplugged activities during your down time. Put that phone down and pick up a book, call a friend, work on aproject, or play a game.

4. Watch the Snacking

It’s easy to succumb to hand-to-mouth eating when entranced by a video or game. Help your kids learn healthy eating habits and portion control by making screen time snack free.

5. Turn It Off Before Bedtime

According to the National Sleep Foundation, “Using TVs, tablets, smartphones, laptops, or other electronic devices before bed delays your body’s internal clock (a.k.a., your circadian rhythm), suppresses the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, and makes it more difficult to fall asleep.” Cut your kids off from screen time at least an hour before bedtime – try reading or listening to quiet music instead.

So all in all, enjoy your screen time, but be responsible about it and set a good example for your little learner! Save it for later!

Giving back almost seems natural to us adults. Creating donation piles or offering money to those who face hard times is like second nature. But much like everything else we do so well in our lives, it was taught to us. Now it is time to teach to give to our little ones! When our children watch us do good, it resonates. Leading by example starts right away. No matter the age, children can have a powerful impact on their communities, but it's up to us, parents and caregivers, to get them engaged and pointed in the right direction. When a child gives their time, talent, and treasures to charitable causes, valuable life skills are sure to follow. Learning how to work with others, take directions, and fine-tune organizational skills are just a few ways volunteering shapes a child’s philanthropic self. Developing empathy and compassion for those with unique struggles opens a new point of view for many children. 

Giving Tuesday is always on the Tuesday after the American Thanksgiving holiday. Held this year on November 27, Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as a movement in response to the amplified consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Think of it as the day to respond to all the buying and spending with volunteering and charity. So what ways can our little ones get involved? Below are a few ideas to get them thinking about what they can do on Giving Tuesday and beyond. 

Get the discussion going about hosting a drive. Drives are the easiest way to collect non-perishable food, coats, shoes, or even pet supplies, for those who need it most during the holidays and cold months. A simple phone call to a food bank or shelter will let you and your child know what its current needs are (i.e., “we have plenty of coats, but we need pajamas”), and your family and friends can begin collecting. 

Your child likely has a piggy bank, or maybe the family has a change jar set aside. With your children’s help, set up a charitable jar where your children can throw in change throughout the year. As a child receives money, like gifts or allowances, encourage them to make deposits. Decide as a family the best place donate all that adds up.  

Soup kitchens, nursing homes, and hospitals are always welcoming places for helping hands. The holiday season is bursting with opportunities left and right. Involving children in deciding where to volunteer is a great motivator. 

Maybe make your Giving Tuesday even sweeter by hosting a bake sale. Help the children bake delicious treats and ask their friends to join in on the fun. Again, deciding where all the money should go makes kids feel like they are making a difference.

Animal shelters need towels, blankets, and food, too. Besides toys and clothes, children in need often need books. Perhaps the local public garden’s caretakers need new tools. As the parent, keep your ear to the ground on local needs and work with your child on making some of these wishes a reality.  

Remember, a little by little, and a little becomes a lot! 

We are walking in a winter wonderland with this snowy STEM craft!

Cutting paper snowflakes is a time-honored tradition and can make for some seriously beautiful holiday decorations! Glue them together to make a wreath, string them to make a garland, add a hook and you’ve got an instant ornament. Plus, all that snipping stimulates STEM learning.

So let’s get started! Follow the step-by-step instructions below to create beautiful paper art AND spend some quality time with your crafty kiddos.

First, gather your supplies. This should be easy – you really only need paper and scissors. You can make snowflakes out of any kind of paper, really, but it has to be square and thin enough to cut when folded several times. Printer paper is probably easiest for beginners. 

Before you get too serious with the instructions, let your child experiment a bit on their own. Fold a sheet of paper in half and have them cut a triangle shape out of the folded edge. It’s a triangle now, but what happens when you open the paper? Diamond!

Fold a square once, then again, and cut another triangle on the fold. Open the paper to reveal not one, but two diamond shapes (or a great Halloween mask!).

Older kids might even be able to begin making some mathematical predictions. If folding the paper twice and cutting one triangle results in two diamonds, what will happen if they fold the paper three times? If your kiddo guessed four diamonds, you’ve got a total STEM smarty on your hands (hint, the number has to do with the number of panels you’re cutting).

Okay, back to the instructions. To make a basic snowflake, here’s what you’re going to do:

Cut your piece of paper into a square large enough to fold several times. (Hint – bring the bottom corner of the paper across the sheet until the sides meet perfectly. Cut the paper above the folded edge off.)

Fold the triangle in half, corner to corner, to make a smaller triangle. Younger kids may want to stop folding here and start snipping, being sure to leave some areas of the folded edges in tact to keep all of the layers from falling apart. This is also the way to create a square or diamond-shaped snowflake. To create a more complex, round snowflake, follow the remaining steps.

Fold the edges of the triangle inward, roughly in thirds, as shown below.

Cut the bottom off this tall triangle to leave a flat edge.

Start snipping! Use any shapes you like – triangles, circles, squares… Encourage your kids to experiment with shapes – they’ll be surprised at the different patterns different shapes make when the snowflake is open. Again, just remind them to leave some of the folded edges intact.

Carefully unfold the paper to reveal your one-of-a-kind snowflake pattern! Share with your kids that each real snowflake is also completely unique. Water droplets freeze onto dust particles creating ice crystals that vary depending on the temperature and humidity. No two are ever the same!

Making snowflakes is endless fun. Once your kids have the basics down, take it a step further and watercolor your paper in winter colors or make STEM snowflakes out of wrapping paper!