Managing Your Kids Screen Time & Giveaway

In this day and age, I think all parents face the issue of managing screen time with  their kids. Our parents battled with us when it came to watching TV, now we not only have the issue of TV, but also the iPad and iPhones to deal with. So how do we best manage this?

The American Academy of Pediatrics define screen time as time spent on digital media for entertainment purposes. It doesn’t include using digital media for educational purposes like homework or educational apps. Their guidelines for kids are:

• Children 18 months or under = no screen time
• Children 2 – 5 years old = 1 hour per day
• Children 6 years+ = up to the parents on how much their use is limited

So what can you do to limit a child’s screen time without dealing with the dreaded tantrums?

Lead by example

Kids will always pick up on the things we do, Being on our phones and tablets are a perfect example of kids thinking that being on digital media all the time is perfectly normal. I am such a culprit of doing this as many parents are. Unfortunately kids can’t understand that we are on our phones for work purposes or for paying bills. They just see us on our digital devices and think they should be able to do the same too. When I am around my daughter, I make sure I am only on my phone or tablet because I need to do something urgently. Everything else can wait until she is in bed, and that way I can do anything else I need to do without her seeing me on the phone all the time.

Download educational apps

The limit on screen time does not apply to educational apps or websites. Luckily there is a ton of fun, entertaining and educational apps for your kids to enjoy and you don’t have to feel guilty about your kids being on that app or website since they are learning at the same time! The other fabulous thing is that there is a lot of apps that are free and educational, so you’re not having to spend a lot of money.

Use a timer

If your child is using the screen for entertainment purposes, then use a timer to ensure you and your child are keeping within the recommended time limits or upon the agreed time limits. It’s easy to lose track of time so a timer will help you and your child to know when time is up. There is also some apps that allow you to manage your child’s overall screen time like OurPact, or there are timers in built in apps like YouTube Kids, which allow you to set a timer, and after the time is up, your child can no longer watch anymore YouTube videos via that app.

Protect your kid’s eyes

Did you know that digital devices and computer screens emit blue light? Blue light is the highest energy wavelength of visible light. The “energy” is able to penetrate all the way to the back of the eye, through the eyes’ natural filters. For children in particular, their eyes are still developing, and they may not have the protective pigments in their eyes to help filter out some of this blue light. Caruso’s Blue Light Eye Protect is a tasty, kid’s chewable capsule which contains ingredients that may support cells within the eye by absorbing high energy blue light and acting as an antioxidant to support eyes from free radical damage.

Caruso’s Natural Health is an Australian, family owned company founded by Frank Caruso, supplying complementary medicines (vitamin & herbal supplements) and natural foods. Frank’s philosophy is simple; “Make time for good health and you’ll always have enough health for a good time!” Their range is available in over 3,000 pharmacies and health food stores throughout Australia.

We love the Caruso range and currently use a couple of their products, so we want to share the love by giving away $120 worth of Caruso products! Enter below:

Win $120 worth of Caruso’s Natural Health Products

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