Minding Screen Time: Tips and Strategies

February 11, 2020 by Melanie

This generation, the digital generation, has never known life without a computer or the Internet. Screen time use has doubled in children over the last 20 years, and studies have linked high levels of screen time with delayed development in children. Dr. Aric Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society of Medicine, says:

Too much screen time too soon is the very thing impeding the development of the abilities that parents are so eager to foster through the tablets. The ability to focus, to concentrate, to lend attention, to sense other people’s attitudes and communicate with them, to build a large vocabulary—all those abilities are harmed.

But it isn’t easy to just unplug – parenting in the digital age also requires that we recognize our own habits. Not only do children mimic our own digital attachments, we also know from previous studies that limiting this face-to-face contact via extensive phone use could cause problems with development and reduce the level of bond between a parent and a child. A more recent study shows us that parents who spend more time with their phones have a greater tendency to shout at their children, while children also feel an increase in frustration, moodiness, and attention-seeking.

Information Session at Creating Together

In the face of this, Creating Together is offering 2 information sessions on Screentime for Children – one on February 10th at 1:30, and the other on the 28th at 10am.

Tips

Apart from the Information Sessions this month, here are a few tips:

Set Limits to Screen Time – Limits help build healthy habits for the future. Create rules to limit screen time and share them with the other adults in your child’s life as well to ensure consistency. There are plenty of apps that provide parental controls to block sites, and enforce time limits (no screen time for children under 2, and less than 1hr / d for children ages 2-5).
Be a Good Example – Children are more likely to act-out in order to get your attention when you’re distracted. Model healthy screen habits by engaging your child with play and books that build their brain and social development.
Create Healthy Habits – Keep devices in a common area so you can monitor age-appropriate use, while watching and talking to them. It’s also a healthy habit to turn off all screens an hour before bed to ensure a better sleep hygiene, and turn it off during mealtimes.
Get Outside – be it the snow, the rain, or the sun, there are plenty of games to enjoy outside to help you replace screen time with green time.

Continue the Conversation!

Interested in learning more, and sharing some strategies with other parents and caregivers? Speak with your family and friends to gauge tips and trends – and bring them with you to our next information session on February 28th at 10am.

See you there!

Overcoming Barriers to Play

May 1, 2019 by Melanie

Last month Creating Together had a great turn-out offering parents and caregivers some information to understand why play is so important, and how to apply our learning stations to support play in our children.

We know it’s good for us – but what are some of the barriers to play, and what can we do about them?

Trying to keep your child clean can discourage children from playing, for the fear that things might get messy. Yet, kids need to get dirty to be both healthy and happy.

Children should be outside often and should be allowed to be barefoot and to get dirty, and handwashing does not necessarily need to immediately follow these activities. – Let Them Eat Dirt: How Microbes Can Make Your Child Healthier

A growing body of research tells us that getting dirty is great for immune health, activity, memory, sensory development, and so much more.

When children are out walking or playing in a green space […] the risk of getting infected with microbes that carry human diseases decreases drastically. Allow your kids to touch anything they want (except animal waste), including dirt, mud, trees, plants, insects, etc. […] Let them stay dirty for as long as the play session lasts or until it’s time to eat.Let Them Eat Dirt: How Microbes Can Make Your Child Healthier¹

There aren’t many suitable spaces to accommodate children, which can make it very difficult for them to play. This is one of the great benefits of having play centres like Creating Together. Now that it’s Springtime it’s also easier to find spaces outside. Check out this listing of playgrounds in Toronto to find one near you, or even near an area you’ll be visiting friends.

Play takes time. With parents and caregivers more stressed than they’ve ever been and all the scheduled activities (school, sports, enrichment, etc) put in place for children, there’s just not enough time for unstructured play. Cancel something. Schedule free play time on your calendar.

Some play takes materials and the effort to put the materials together so children can reach for what they seek and have satisfying access to play materials. Check out this great list of activities you can facilitate with things you have on hand at home: https://handsonaswegrow.com/50-toddler-activities/

In a world of rules, programs, and structures, children can quickly feel like they don’t have permission to play freely (and safely). To get you through this, have a clear picture of what actions you would like or need your children to request permission. Ask if your requirements are based on safety and cultural needs, and be careful not to micromanage your children, while providing clear leadership.

It’s a wonder we get outside at all with television, phone calls, e-mail, and video games. Screen time use has doubled in children over the last 20 years, and studies have linked high levels of screen time with delayed development in children. It’s not a simple thing to just unplug, so try these 10 Ways to Limit Your Child’s Screen Time from Very Well Family.

Balancing Screen Time with Green Time

June 6, 2018 by Melanie

This generation, the digital generation, has never known life without a computer or the Internet. Research from the Einstein Medical Centre Philadelphia reported that even by age one, 14% of children are already using electronic devices for an hour a day; this goes up to 26% by the age of two, to 38% by age four, and usage continues to increase with age. When very small children get hooked on tablets and smartphones, says Dr. Aric Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of Britain’s Royal Society of Medicine, they can unintentionally cause permanent damage to their still-developing brains. He continues:

Too much screen time too soon is the very thing impeding the development of the abilities that parents are so eager to foster through the tablets. The ability to focus, to concentrate, to lend attention, to sense other people’s attitudes and communicate with them, to build a large vocabulary—all those abilities are harmed.

Simultaneous to these findings, NDD, or nature deficit disorder, has become a buzzword over the last few years. Although it’s not a recognised medical condition, concerns about its effects on well-being are attracting widespread attention. Richard Louv coined the phrase Nature Deficit Disorder in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods. He argues that all of us, especially children, are spending more time indoors, which makes us feel alienated from nature and perhaps more vulnerable to negative moods or reduced attention span. Coincidently, instances of ADD and ADHD are increasing as children’s time spent indoors and on screens is increasing. Even for children not diagnosed with attention deficits, the fact remains that a disconnection from the natural world results in difficulties in concentration, a diminished use of the senses, and higher rates of mental illness among our children.

How Nature Helps

Getting children outside to enjoy time for free play in natural environments will increase attentions spans, creative thought, and the desire to learn through exploration (https://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=39558). It also helpa their motor, sensory, social and cognitive development – and is great for their general health and well-being (https://www.learningpotential.gov.au/the-benefits-of-outdoor-play).

In fact, “wilderness therapy” has emerged as an alternative treatment for behavioral and psychological problems in adolescents and teens. One study found that “wilderness therapy” was an effective treatment for teens suffering from attention deficit disorder, alcohol and drug addiction, depression, and other behavioral problems. Afterward, patients showed higher levels of confidence, better organizational and leadership skills, and exhibited fewer problematic behaviors (http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/wrc/Pdf/howwildtherworks.PDF).

7 More Advantages to Nature Play

Promoting an Active Lifestyle

Playing outside is fantastic for helping children practise their physical abilities. Exercises such as running, jumping, skipping and playing ball games not only strengthen little muscles, but they can also help with gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and overall health and well-being. According to Wikipedia, obesity has sent as much as 120,000 people to their graves prematurely. Kids who spend more time with the natural settings are less likely to be obese. The physical activities such as walking, hiking, or playing in nature can keep them active, and also help them shed extra kilos.

Self-awareness

Experiencing outdoor play helps your child take risks and learn about their own abilities. For example, they can discover how high they can climb, how well they can balance, how fast they can run and what it is like to roll on grass.

Immunity

Children who play more in the natural world fall sick less often than those kids who restrict themselves to the indoor space. Regular exposure to the outside world boosts one’s immune system. As a result, a child is able to combat illness better.

Imagination

Playing outdoors is helpful for encouraging creative thinking through imagination. Outdoors, children can enjoy unstructured play, where they can make up activities and games on the spot with what is around them – a log can be a pirate ship sailing the seas, or a stick can be a magic wand – or anything they can imagine.

Playing games like ‘Hide and Seek’ are fun and important for your child’s development as they assist with language skills and social and emotional learning.

Knowledge

Children who spend more time in nature have better performance in maths, science, reading and social studies (National Wildlife Federation, Back to School: Back Outside (Coyle, 2010). Being outdoors also helps your child connect with nature and the environment around them. You can use the opportunity of going outside together to talk to your child about the natural world. You could discuss how plants grow, the changing of the seasons or how caterpillars turn into butterflies.

Optimism

Children who spend a good amount of time outside are more prone to hone positive thoughts. It becomes second nature to them to think more optimistically in life. As a result, they benefit in all areas of life, be it academic or professional.

Resilience

Being able to solve problems on their own and the ability to take calculative risks when needed will boost their self-esteem. As a matter of fact, children who are religiously exposed to the natural world are found to be more resilient to high-stress circumstances.

Join us for Playtime at the Park!

Research

“Changes in Children’s Nature-based Experiences Near home: From Spontaneous Play to Adult-Controlled, Planned and Organized Activities,” Children’s Geographies, 2009

“Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children for Nature-Deficit Disorder,”
Richard Louv, 2008

“How Wilderness Therapy Works: An Examination of the Wilderness Therapy Process to Treat Adolescents with Behavioral Problems and Addictions,” USDA Forest Service, 2000

Research and White Papers, Children and Nature Network

Resources

Children and Nature

Discover the Forest, U.S. Forest Service

Natural Learning Initiative

“For Forest Kindergarteners, Class is Back to Nature, Rain or Shine” The New York Times, 2009