Screen Time

If you would like to screen your child’s time on all things electronic then be sure to check out Rod Liberal’s website. Children play so different from when I was a young girl.  There is so much pressure out there to have the latest and greatest of the technology gadgets.  Which then leads to the question of how much time should you allow your child(ren) to spend using these gadgets.  Is using them really providing them what they need?  If you aren’t certain and feel that they should “play” in other ways besides electronically….then download Screen Time so you can manage their use without  the hassle.  In turn, your child will learn, earn and build respect for all the things they have been given.  This weekend I have been testing this application out with my 4 1/2 year old, yes even a toddler has electronic needs and should have limitations but should also be taught the fundamentals of responsibility.

A skill that children need to understand is that sometimes life is about choices – some they may not like and others that are very appealing to them. With constant reinforcement, my son is finally getting this concept.  On many occasions it has been said by educators and psychologists that the amount of time that our children use electronics or sit in front of the television is excessive. With the current technology world that we live in, eliminating “screen time” is not completely possible.  Even as adults, we spend too much time on the computer, in front of the television or on our Apple devices or Smartphones.  How many times have you been at a restaurant and see a family not talking but all on some kind of electronic device?  In my opinion, Screen Time is trying to help parents with the concept of choices by encouraging good behavior and taking on responsibilities with the help of a screen time allowance.  In addition, it encourages our children to  use that allowance time towards other forms of fun.

When you enter the application you are instructed to select the “Set Up” button.  Here you add your child(ren), set their screen time allowance and even upload a picture.  If you happen to have more than one child, you can customize the “screen” choices to fit each particular child.  THUMBS UP!!!  In addition you can customize the tasks that they are to complete and how much additional screen time will be added to their allowance.  Finally, the developers have also set rewards that they may “buy” with their screen time allowance.  These rewards are things like: going bowling, a new creative toy, going to the zoo or park, or maybe even a play date with a friend.  If you set the rewards with your child and make them feel that they are a part of this learning process, then they will want to build up their allowance for the reward rather than the screen time.

When I explained what I was doing with this application to my son, his first response was, “So if I do things to help, I get something back. Cool!”  I stopped to think about how receptive he was to this concept and that to him it was his electronic version of a sticker chart, which he so craves!!!!  Parental management the 21st century way!!!  This is an application that will be using frequently and can help any type of family.  If you want to start balancing your child’s life then download Screen Time today by visiting them in your iTunes library.