4 Tips On How To Manage Screen Time When Homeschooling

Technology is a double-edged sword, especially when it comes to homeschooling. On the one hand, electronics in this day and age are needed to help supplement lessons and have been shown to help kids learn more effectively. On the other hand, too much screen time can have detrimental effects on your child’s health and wellbeing. So, how do you balance your child’s needs with screen time? Very carefully!

No one ever said parenting was easy, and homeschooling can add a whole new dimension to being a parent. But at the end of the day, you only want what is best for your kids, which is why it’s vital to find a happy medium when balancing school and screen time. To help you and your kids find your footing in a world where screens are used for just about everything, read on for some tips on how to manage screen time when homeschooling.

What’s The Big Deal With Screen Time?
Children today are constantly bombarded with an array of electronic devices. Of course, this isn’t entirely a bad thing. After all, the internet literally puts the known universe right at your fingertips (and has some excellent cat videos to boot). And while you may not be able to imagine a world now without your phone, your laptop, or your tablet within arm’s reach, this abundance of technology presents parents with a conundrum, because unlimited screen time can be harmful to your child.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents should put a reasonable cap on their children’s screen time – about two hours per day. But do you know how much time the average American child actually spends in front of a screen each day? Almost eight hours! Even parents themselves have difficulty capping their screen time to healthy limits.

Too much screen time can result in negative effects for your children, such as:

• Problems sleeping at night
• Issues with anxiety, attention, or even depression
• Headaches
• A sedentary lifestyle that can lead to obesity
• Back and neck pain (dubbed “tech neck”)

Studies through the National Institutes of Health have also found that kids who spend seven hours or more on screens all day have reasoning and critical thinking issues tied to the thinning of the brain’s cortex. Overall, it’s important to find a way to balance your child’s screen time when you’re integrating electronic devices into your homeschool curriculum.

What Are The Negative Effects Of Too Much Screen Time?

If you’re wondering if your child is getting too much screen time, then there are some warning signs you can be on the lookout for to know if screen time is starting to harm your child.

If you experience any of the following with your child, it might be time to reassess how you’re going about screen time:

• Your child throws a temper tantrum or complains when their time on the device is up
• Your child has been sneaking screen time or lying about how long they're on a device
• The first thing they do when they get up in the morning is get on a device
• They talk constantly about a specific show, video, or game
• They seem frustrated and anxious when not on a device
• They don’t seem to be interested in things other than those related to screens
• They don’t seem to be getting enough sleep
• They complain of physical issues such as neck pain or headaches

How To Manage Screen Time When Homeschooling

There’s no doubt that electronics can be useful tools in your homeschool curriculum; computers and other devices are helpful to connect your child with resources they may need. It’s OK to incorporate screens, but it’s crucial to make sure to periodically evaluate how much screen time your child is getting overall. Remember, it’s not the screen time they have while learning that is the issue – it’s the added screen time outside of school that can become problematic.

Some tips to help you manage screen time at home include:

• Keeping screens out of bedrooms. Your child’s room should not have a television. They also shouldn’t be allowed to take any device with a screen into their room. This can be a bit of a sticking point for older kids, but you can help to reduce screen time overall by allowing device use only in the common areas of the home. Plus, this helps you to keep an eye on what they’re consuming via their devices and how much time they’re spending on them, too.
• Encourage them to do other things. When you’re not working on schoolwork at home, encourage your child to do an activity that doesn’t involve a screen. Play board games, help them find a book series to get into, or simply have them go play outside when the weather is nice.
• Be a role model. The hard truth is that you shouldn’t ask your child to do something you’re not willing to do right along with them. That’s why you should model healthy screen use by setting an example for your kids. You’re likely from a generation that is older than the internet, anyway. Channel your less tech-dependent past self!
• Make time to unplug. Your child can use screens outside of school, but make sure when they do, you set aside time for the whole family to unplug together. Turn off the television, put away the phones, close the laptops and spend some quality time as a family.

Screen time can easily get away from you, which is why it’s important to take an honest look at your children’s usage and, if necessary, take steps to keep it under control.

Featured image by William Iven on Unsplash