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Screen-Savvy Parenting

For raising kids who are smarter than their smart technology
Kim Jocelyn Dickson

Kim Jocelyn Dickson

2 Min Read

Parenting in the digital age can be challenging and confusing. The American Academy of Pediatrics–informed by dozens of studies on screen time and its effect on the emotional and physical health of children–has guidelines for parents. Check out their tips for screen-savvy parenting:

  • Children under the age of 2 should avoid all digital media use except for video chatting via apps like Skype and Facetime.
  • If you must introduce digital media to toddlers between the ages of 18 and 24 months, choose high-quality programming and sit with your child. Solo viewing should be avoided.
  • Children ages 2 to 5 years should have no more than one hour of screen use a day. Be sure to select high-quality programming and watch it with your children.
  • Keep bedrooms, mealtimes and parent-child playtime free of screens. (Parents, that goes for you too: Set your phone on “Do not disturb.”)
  • If you have children between the ages of 5 and 18, place consistent limits on their hours per day of media use, as well as the types of media they use.
  • Discourage the use of entertainment media while doing homework.
  • Children of all ages should avoid exposure to devices and screens for one hour before bedtime.
  • Keep smartphones, TVs and other devices out of the bedroom.
  • Communicate the family’s media guidelines to grandparents, babysitters and other caregivers so screen rules are followed consistently.
  • Have an ongoing conversation with older children about online citizenship and safety. This includes treating people with respect online; saying no to cyberbullying and sexting; and avoiding communications that can compromise personal privacy and safety.

Information sources: American Academy of Pediatrics and the Los Angeles Times.

Author(s)

  • Kim Jocelyn Dickson

    M.A., Author, Teacher, Presenter

    Kim Jocelyn Dickson (M.A. Princeton Theological Seminary; B.S. University of Missouri-Columbia), a parent, educator, writer, and lifelong lover of books, is the author of The Invisible Toolbox: The Power of Reading to Your Child from Birth to Adolescence (Mango Publishing, 2020) and creator of theinvisibletoolbox.org, a website devoted to sharing why reading to a child from birth--or even before--is one of the most powerful and important gifts a parent can give. She has nearly thirty years of experience in the elementary school classroom, has taught in public and private schools in the east, Midwest, and west coast of the United States, currently teaches literature and writing in an independent school in Southern California, and frequently speaks on the importance of literacy. Kim is the published author of various articles in psychology, literature, biography, women’s issues, religion, and Gifts from the Spirit: Reflections on the Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a collection of reflective essays on the beloved author of Gift from the Sea.