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How Much Screen Time is Too Much for Your Child?

Children these days are constantly in front of electronic devices. They may be playing games, watching TV, working on a computer, or browsing social media. It can be hard to keep them off devices when it’s so easy for them to get hooked. But is screen time bad? How much is too much?

There are many benefits to the various devices we use daily. Children can learn through educational videos and games. They can build social connections with friends. Downtime spent on various devices can be therapeutic for children who are struggling with anxiety or depression.

But too much screen time can also have negative effects. It can lead to many issues for your child. It’s important to know what those issues are so that you can recognize them if they occur. Some of those problems can include:

Obesity

Children who spend a lot of time sitting in front of screens are more likely to be overweight. If they’re not getting the exercise they need and possibly filling up on unhealthy snacks at the same time, they can gain too much weight. This can lead to other health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Decreased Grades

Studies have shown that children who spend six hours or more a day watching TV and playing video games have lower reading, math, and overall grades.

Increased Aggression or Depression

Too much time in front of electronic devices can also increase aggression and depression in children. Studies have shown that this can affect how your child views themselves. If your child has a negative self-view, they may develop higher levels of aggressive behavior. They also may become depressed, which can lead to self-harming behavior.

Behavioral problems

Behavioral problems can show up as your child may become more hyperactive or defiant. They may also have a harder time paying attention in school.

Decreased Social Interaction

Too much time on electronic devices can also lead to decreased social interactions for your child. It takes away from family time and can interfere with a child’s ability to play without an electronic distraction.

So How Much is Too Much?

It really depends on your child and their individual needs. If your child is spending a lot of their time in front of a screen and you start to notice behavior problems or health issues, then this may be an issue.

How to Set Screen Time Rules

But screen time isn’t all bad. There can be many benefits. It’s also not realistic for your child to live without electronic devices in today’s world. Luckily, there are ways you can regulate how much time your child is getting.

    • Set electronic device-free times during the day. You can schedule times in your home when all devices are put away or turned off. These could be during meals, before bedtime, or any other time of the day that you feel is necessary.
    • Limit device time to two hours or less each day. You can set time limits that are appropriate for your child based on their age and needs.
    • Choose appropriate device activities for your child. This could be screen time that is educational, social, or therapeutic.
    • Monitor your child’s electronic device use. You should keep track of your child’s screen time use to make sure they’re not going over the limits you’ve set.
    • Make sure the content is appropriate.

Screen time can have both positive and negative effects on children. The key is in managing your child’s time to be more beneficial than harmful. Talk to your child about this. Set up rules. Choosing helpful and positive activities will make sure they’re getting the most out of their screen time.

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How Much Sleep Should My Child Be Getting?

How Much Sleep Should My Child Be Getting?
How Much Sleep Should My Child Be Getting?

Did you know your child’s sleep schedule can have a huge impact on their success in school? In fact, experts believe both an insufficient amount of sleep and later bedtimes can negatively affect your child’s GPA scores.

In a 2015 study, researchers assigned a group of children wrist devices that measured both the amount and quality of sleep. They found that, in addition to the reduced potential for total sleep offered by later bedtimes, kids who went to bed later tended to have poorer quality sleep. When they controlled for other factors, such as socioeconomic status and age, students with shorter, poor quality sleep showed a significant performance variable of 14% in math and 7% or more in language learning.

How Does Less Sleep Affect Your Child?

Overall grumpy mood and sluggishness in the morning and after school are often the first signs that your child needs more sleep. Other immediate effects of fatigue include lack of focus and even a propensity to fall asleep during the school day. It’s easy to see how a lack of sleep can begin to negatively affect school performance.

Can Lack of Sleep Lead to Stress and Depression?

Still, other issues may arise when a lack of sleep reaches its critical point. Since many studies show a correlation between stress, depression, and lack of sleep, it can often become a vicious cycle. A persistent lack of sleep can lead to stress and decreased school performance, which leads to more stress and even depression; eventually, the student’s struggles with class performance can further increase due to changes in mood, starting the whole process over again.

How Much Sleep Does Your Child Really Need? Are 8 hours enough?

While the old adage requires eight hours of sleep per night, that figure applies more to the seven to nine hours of sleep recommended for young and middle-aged adults than it does school-aged children. In fact, from birth all the way up until young adulthood, the recommended number is actually higher for children than it is for parents. So, how much sleep does your student really need?

  • Preschool-aged children (ages 3 to 5 years). Preschoolers’ sleep needs range from 10 to 13 hours per night, though an hour more or less is within the normal range.
  • School-aged children (ages 6 to 13 years). Older children need slightly less sleep than preschoolers at nine to eleven hours per night, though some children perform better with as many as 13 hours.
  • Teenagers (ages 14 to 17 years). Teenagers need fewer hours of sleep than younger children at eight to ten hours per night. However, teens may be at their best with closer to 12 hours of sleep.

Each Child is Different So Find the Best Sleep Solution That Works for Them

The ideal amount of sleep is an individual characteristic, so finding a sleep schedule that suits your child best is an important process – some children do best with even more sleep than is listed above. Providing your child the opportunity to sleep at least the recommended number of hours and ensuring no distractions occur within the designated sleeping hours are key to building good sleep habits that last through the high school and college years and beyond. 

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3 Signs of Cyberbullying and What to Do About It

CyberbullyingAs technology becomes more significant in our everyday lives, cyberbullying becomes increasingly common. Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, texts and other digital platforms are all venues for  cyberbullying. While it is difficult to measure statistically because of how hard it is to spot, studies have shown that one in four teenagers has been the victim of cyberbullying,  embarrassed by mean and cruel comments or the posting of personal information, threatened, stalked or harassed by other students or even people they don’t know. One in six admits to have cyberbullied someone themselves.

There are certain aspects of cyberbullying that set it apart from the usual style of bullying. Using a device to bully someone allows the bully to send a constant flow of harassment 24 hours a day. The victims cannot escape by physically separating themselves from their bullies. Digital messages are permanently on line unless they are reported and removed.

One of the most difficult aspects of cyberbullying is how hard it can be to catch. Teachers and parents are less likely to notice it if it is digital so the person being bullied cannot get help unless they seek it out themselves. Concern for social standing can often keep people from going to someone else for help.

CyberbullyingWhat Are the Signs?

One of the signs that your child is being cyberbullied is how they are acting after using a computer or being on their phone. If they seem angry, sad, or emotionally upset in any way after being online, it is possible they are being bullied.

Another possible sign is if they are being especially secretive about what is on their phone or computer. They may be afraid of someone discovering the bullying. This could also manifest in your child not wanting to use their phone or computer anymore.

Inexplicable acting out in school or at home could also point to cyberbullying. If they seem especially emotional, depressed, their grades are slipping, or they want to avoid social gatherings and you cannot see a reason why, it could be because of cyberbullying.

How to Help Them

If you feel like your child is experiencing this, it may be hard to know how to begin to help. Talking to your child and offering support from a place of empathy is the most important thing to do. If you have experienced bullying in your past, it can help to talk about it so your child knows they’re not alone.

Teach your child how to block the bully online. Most digital platforms provide the option to block someone to prevent them from being able to communicate with that person.

Make someone at school, teachers or counsellors, aware of the situation. Because cyberbullying has become more prevalent recently, many schools have programs and protocols to help kids deal with this.  

Putting a limit on your child’s technology use may seem more like a punishment than a solution to them, but sometimes kids have a hard time keeping themselves from constantly checking social media accounts, even if they are being harassed through them. They may need you to step in.

Whatever you chose to do, being aware about cyberbullying is the first step.

Here is a  link to recent article about a documentary that A & E filmed dealing with this issue at a high school in Kansas.  7 adults went undercover as high-school students and found cell phones pose a much bigger problem than adults can imagine