Another way of thinking about screen time
Instead of focusing on what it's replacing
🤯This shift can really help you evaluate screen time
🧠Focusing only on the idea of screens “replacing” things leaves out the purpose that screens often serve. It also preys on our guilt that *anything* would be better than a screen, therefore a parent should martyr themselves before using a screen.
📺I believe screens should be used in a way that benefits a whole family. And I believe that adults may give kids screen time as a direct benefit for the adult but it actually ends up benefiting the child by proxy. Some examples of needs screens may be meeting: 🥧making dinner while child watches TV
🧑🏻🏫taking a work call so adults can stop working for the day and be present later
👶🏼Attending to needs of other child and focusing on one child at a time to prevent a parent from getting overwhelmed
🚿Adult attending to their needs so they can feel regulated and present with their child
🤷🏻♂️Now this doesn’t mean you couldn’t do something else during these times besides screens. By asking “what need is this screen time meeting?” we may find the answer to be “maybe something else could too”.
🎵We could put on music or a podcast
🖍️Put out a simple activity that occupies our kids
🛹If we have the privilege of outdoor access we could use that But sometimes a screen will be the easiest or best option in the moment and that’s ok too. By focusing on needs as opposed to what the screen is replacing, we shift our focus to what purpose screens are serving and the ways that can and can’t be achieved differently. This will hopefully give us less guilt than solely focusing on amount of time.