Teaching children self-awareness of screen time.

We’ve all done, it! We repeat ourselves 3 to 5 times a day, and often wonder “Should I get their ears tested?!”  A screen is addictive, the games are designed to keep you engaged, with clever graphics and challenges. It’s the nature of screen time. Even as adults, we must force ourselves to step away. Or we’re tempted to purchase a “Quality time phone pouch“! 

Balancing screen time and play time must be a consistent theme throughout all your conversations with your child. A favourite in our family is – You can’t pause life! Feel free to use that one. There is no shame in buying yourself a minute or 15 of quiet time while they engage with technology and screen time. It’s the way of the future, and they need to be confident in this space. It’s all about the balance and boundaries you set within this space. A constant theme in the Codey Adventure is about balance and the best type of friend is a friend you can see, hear, and touch. Codey reiterates at every chance, that movement, sunshine and playing in real life is the best kind of play.

To bring this home, make a games night a regular occurrence in your family routine. Playing a board game or cards is a great way to reconnect as a family and to show them that just as much fun can be had when you are not behind a screen. We will with determination and persistence be able to welcome a new generation of digital citizens, who are comfortable balancing their digital and real-world on their own accord and not through nagging or stopwatches.