Mom Sets 'Stricter Limits' On Screen Time For Her Two Kids & Notices Improvement With Their Behavior
She admitted that her children seem happier and less irritable.
stockvisual from Getty Images Signature via Canva Pro A mom has shared the noticeable difference she's seen in her children after setting a limit on a specific part of their day.
Posting to the subreddit "r/Parenting," she claimed that her children were practically glued to the television screen, and now, after minimizing their exposure to screens, the difference has been noticeable.
She set 'stricter limits' on her kids' screen time and noticed improved behavior from them.
In her Reddit post, she explained that both of her children, a 4-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son, were actively watching a lot of television for the majority of their short lives. It was mostly because their mom had been in an abusive relationship, which she was no longer in, and had been overwhelmed.
She had also been a child who was raised by watching large amounts of television and didn't see anything wrong with putting her kids in front of a screen to occupy their time. She admitted that there were times when her children were watching way too much television, but it was mostly because she couldn't do much else with them.
However, the children's mother recently set much stricter limits on their screen time, as well as the kind of content they are consuming, only letting them watch PBS Kids or something else educational.
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"I felt like I needed that time to make dinner or get cleaned up or whatever else was on my to-do list. I also justified it because they have never used a tablet or had screen time outside of home," she said. "When we are out and about I let the real world entertain them. Because of that, I’ve never had issues with their behavior in the car or in restaurants."
A week ago, their television was malfunctioning, so her children didn't have any access to screen time for a couple of days, and even when the television was eventually fixed, she decided to continue it. She pointed out that her children have always been good and well-mannered, but since not having access to the television at all, she noticed an astounding difference.
"Before, they would constantly bicker/fight with each other. I felt like I was playing referee all the time. Now they get along better and play together a lot," she remarked. "My daughter is now picking up her entire playroom every night before bed, where before getting her to clean up felt like pulling teeth. They are saying please and thank you more."
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Anytime she goes to the other side of the house to clean, her children can entertain themselves and just seem to be calmer overall, which has led to her being calm as a parent. She also admitted to having "less mom guilt" because she's aware of how detrimental screen time is to children.
"I’m not sure how long I’ll continue this. I told my daughter we can start having a family movie night once a week soon," she added. "But for the foreseeable future regular screen time will not be part of our routine. I used to think screen-free was unattainable for me as a single mom but things have been easier than ever."
Excessive screen time can have detrimental effects on a child's emotional and mental well-being.
According to a study on OCD published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, which tracked more than 9,200 children for two years starting at ages 9 to 10, researchers logged how much time the kids spent on devices and found that 4.4% qualified for a new OCD diagnosis.
The odds of developing the disorder over the study period increased by 15% for every hour a kid played video games, and by 11% for every hour that they watched videos.
Similarly, in a study of 7,097 children in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, having anywhere from one to four hours of screen time per day at age 1 is linked with higher risks of developmental delays in communication, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal and social skills by age 2.
Children with higher levels of screen time are more prone to problems in their social development and competence. All of their attention is being directed toward a screen instead of something productive, which can even have lasting effects once they start school.
Some of the benefits of parents limiting screen time can be improved sleep habits for children, increased academic success, and less irritable and aggressive behavior, among many other things.
Of course, many parents, especially those who were raised by older generations, were plopped down in front of TVs and computers when they were young, and for them, having a lot of screen time doesn't seem like such a bad thing. There are also parents, like this mom, who were raising children all by themselves and probably didn't have the energy to make sure their kids were being properly entertained.
There is no need to shame parents for trying their best, but hopefully, with the plethora of studies and new research emerging about increased levels of screen time being detrimental to children, more and more individuals start looking for alternatives that can nourish and help their children's minds grow and develop.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.