If you are a parent who is concerned with the amount of time your kids spend online glued to their device screen, this article was written with you in mind. If left to their own devices, (pun intended) your kids will invariably use every opportunity to play an online game or spend a few hours on Facebook or Instagram and if you are looking for ideas to limit their screen time, here are a few options that might do the trick.
- After School Sports – Check out the great after school care in Concord West from a leading provider of fitness programs for kids. Why not have your children join the fitness squad, which meets twice a week for a fun-packed program run by qualified sports instructors? They will make new friends and the sessions will become an integral part of their routine, which is healthy and helps to limit online time. Kids have unlimited amounts of energy and sports are a healthy way to spend downtime. Search online for after-school programs run by local gyms and see what they have on offer.
- Reward System – Some parents create a points system whereby their kids have to achieve a specific number of points in order to play computer games or surf the web. Just how difficult you make this is entirely up to you and be firm when the desired score is not achieved, otherwise the exercise is pointless. Things like tidying their bedroom, doing household chores and finishing school homework, are all good ways to score points, you could even tie in their school grades to the system.
- Password Protection – The house Wi-Fi has the ability to limit access to specific users; simply create profiles for each of your kids and you can change the passwords at will. Some children use their digital device in the bedroom when they should be asleep and it can be tough for a parent to limit this.
- Family Activities – Why not take the family out more? An afternoon at the swimming pool or a visit to the local fast-food restaurant will certainly break the monotony of the usual routine. You could get creative and design a family treasure hunt in a nearby park, which is always fun, or visit a wildlife park and do some animal observing, which is kind of educational. Play is a critical part of a young child’s development, as this article highlights.
- Lead By Example – You could announce to the family that from the time you come home, you won’t be checking your smartphone, as you think you spend too much time online. See what kind of response that brings and they might be fine with joining you in a digital boycott, which might last a couple of hours.
This is a problem that many parents of teenagers have to deal with and it isn’t something you can afford to ignore. Click here for a kids guide to Internet use, which can help protect them when online.
