Families For Life | 3 effective tools to help track screentime

Great! You’ve clicked this article – that means that you are aware of the impacts of screen time on your child’s growth! You’ve already taken the first step towards creating an environment that nurtures your child’s imagination, curiosity, and physical and mental wellbeing.

However, keeping track of your child’s screentime is difficult, especially when juggling other responsibilities. Here are some tools that can help you learn more about appropriate screen use and track the amount of screentime your child has each day.

#1 Screen Use Buddy

If you’re unsure how much screen time is too much, Screen Use Buddy can help you gauge whether you should cut back your child’s screen time or keep it up!

This handy website also has plenty of resources to help you learn about the effects of screen time on your child’s growth. Read about the four different types of screen use – Active, Passive, Background, and Recreational – and help your little one spend more meaningful time with their digital devices. Don’t forget to check out the videos on the website and get inspired with ideas to spend less time on screens and more time together!

#2 Downloadable guides

Having physical reminders in your home can help you and your family be more mindful of the time you spend on screens.

For starters, try creating a screen use schedule using a template. With a schedule, keeping an eye on your child’s screen time is much easier because you’ll know exactly when they should or should not be on their devices. The schedule will also help you better plan out their device use throughout the week or month.

As you plan out their screen use, consider involving your child and getting their input as well! You can choose to be more lenient when your child’s favourite game is released and be stricter during the school term or exam period. Be firm about your decisions, but getting your child involved in the planning may help them be more willing to follow the schedule. Consider scheduling some screen-free hours involving the rest of your family, too!

These printables and other useful infographic guides are available on the Screen Use Buddies website, so check them out!

#3 Screen time use on mobile phones

Did you know? Most of our digital devices (including game consoles) now come with parental controls that can help you monitor and limit the time your child spends on them. Digital for Life’s guide on parental controls has everything you need to know about how to supervise and monitor your child’s screen use on different digital devices.

The webpage also contains useful information to help you ensure that your child browses the internet safely. Learn about the SafeSearch feature on search engines and protect your child from potential dangers online by using the privacy settings on social media!

With our digital devices deeply integrated into our daily lives, finding the right balance has become increasingly important. As parents, by managing and monitoring screen time, we can do our part to ensure that our children continue to experience an enriching childhood that nurtures their physical and mental wellbeing. There are also plenty of online resources that can help you navigate the digital age as a parent.

Don’t worry about getting it right. What’s important is that by managing your child’s screen time, you can provide your child with a better environment for them to develop physically and mentally!