Almost all parents know that getting children away from screens is an increasingly difficult task!
At Tinygloo, we want to give children this opportunity by reconnecting them with nature! We suggest that you read some advice from Anne Peymirat, author of “Débranchez vos enfants”, published by FIRST. “Screens have a very strong attraction for children because they offer an almost infinite choice of activities. It is therefore often difficult to get them interested in something else, but parents should not give up. With a few rules and a little organisation, it is possible to find the right balance between screens and other leisure activities.
In order to limit children’s exposure time, it is important for parents to take a holistic approach, being very clear about what they want. It’s not just a matter of saying, ‘it would be nice if they were to spend less time in front of the computer or the TV’, but to establish a real battle plan.
Towards a new organisation
Above all, good consultation between parents is essential. It is also important not to do things by reaction or in a hurry, as this will allow you to prepare your children before the new “rules” are put in place, and to accompany them in this new organisation.
To facilitate disconnection, the number of screens in the house should be limited.
“One of the tricks I suggest to parents in my workshops is to place a drop box in the hallway so that everyone can put their mobile phone in it as soon as they walk through the door. It’s a simple rule, but one that ensures that all phones are put away.
As for the other screens, they can be blocked with codes or set time slots for use with parental control software or via the Internet operator.
Parents: set an example!
“If parents are always on their mobile phones or in front of their computers, this is not necessarily a good example. It is desirable that they too follow the new house rules, with exceptions, however, because adults need these tools to work or prepare for holidays, for example.”
Screen time
“It is up to each family to establish its own rules, according to its own convictions. Some parents will be more demanding than others. For my part, I recommend avoiding screens before the age of three, and then adapting this time to the age of the child: half an hour a day between 3 and 8 years old and an hour beyond that, with days without screens and others with a little more time devoted to this activity.
Source Paula Pinto Gomes https://www.la-croix.com/Famille/Education/Ecrans-comment-deconnecter-enfants-2017-08-11-1200869045