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Screen Time for Kids: Healthy Limits, Quality Content, and Parenting Tips | PedsDocTalk | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Screen Time for Kids: Healthy Limits, Quality Content, and Parenting Tips
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This content provides a pediatrician and mother's practical, balanced approach to managing children's screen time, emphasizing intentionality, connection, and age-appropriate boundaries to support healthy development and family well-being.
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are you struggling to find the right
balance when it comes to screen time for
your kids maybe you're wondering if
screens are helping or hurting or
feeling unsure about how much is too
much I'm Dr Mona Amin a board certified
pediatrician and Mom and today I'm
sharing my personal approach to screen
time with my preschooler and toddler how
I create balance why I set the
boundaries I do and how you can find
what works best for your family and if
you're new here hit that subscribe
button so you don't miss any videos that
help you navigate your child's health
development and behavior with confidence
the American Academy of Pediatrics or AE
provides helpful guidelines for screen
use based on children's age and your job
is to take those guidelines what I'm
telling you here today and make
guidelines and rules about screen time
that make sense for your family
respecting your child's development and
their physical and emotional health for
more on some of the science behind
screen time I recorded a few years ago
watch this video for me managing screen
time is all about balance screens are
just one part of our day and I try to
use them intentionally sometimes they're
a helpful tool whether it's to give me a
moment to recharge or to get things done
but I strive to balance screen time with
connection physical activity creativity
and family time as modern parents we fa
challenges that previous generations
didn't screens are now everywhere TVs
tablets and phones and while they bring
convenience they also require us to be
mindful of their impact on our kids
development behavior and overall
wellbeing the key is to create a plan
that works for your unique family and
ensures that screen time doesn't
interfere with Essentials like sleep
meals Child Development or family
connection I'm sharing my approach to
help you find what resonates and adapted
to your family's needs I also want to
acknowledge that for many neurodiverse
or autistic children screens can
actually serve as a source of Regulation
and comfort and perhaps you're in a
season where you're relying on screens
more than you'd like to because I've
been there too
take what you need from my
recommendations and leave what doesn't
fit above all just focus on reducing
digital use in a way that aligns with
your family's lifestyle and priorities
when my kids were under one and I can't
believe I have kids that are over one
now just time flies we kept screens off
limits except for video chats with
family because let's be real
grandparents need their FaceTime fix I
believe babies don't need screens they
thrive on real world interactions like
giggling during peek-a-boo or babbling
back to us this is a rule I'm actually
very inflexible about keep screens to a
video chatting under one now with my
younger child things got a little
trickier because their older sibling was
already watching TV we'd keep the baby
playing nearby with a caregiver or face
them away from the screen but honestly
if they caught a glimpse of Bluey while
Crawling by we didn't freak out it's
life with multiple kids and their eyes
are not going to melt off but we would
never sit our child in front of a screen
under the age of one because
developmentally it just doesn't make
sense once our kiddos were over one
here's how we approach screen time no
screens for my younger child unless her
older brother's home and watching as a
joint experience now this was a change
from our first child because we have
help now with our son we actually did
use screens more than with our daughter
because it was a pandemic we were both
working full-time we were exhausted and
we had no help so again recognize your
needs I'm not here to judge even so for
our son we kept it under an hour a day
between 1 to 2 years of age co-w
watching with siblings or me in the room
I make sure screens feel like a
connected experience not an is in one if
the TV is on it's usually while I'm
nearby maybe working in the room or
cooking in the kitchen so there's still
interaction and connection happening
you'll often find me singing along to
songs or tossing in a few questions like
what color is the truck sometimes I'll
even sit down and watch with them
especially with my toddler who's
developing her language skills the
screen becomes a tool for joint
attention we'll Point things out
together talk about what's happening and
turn it into an opportunity for Learning
and bonding it's all about making screen
time feel intentional and social
at home screen time is limited to the
big TV yes the kids do not have iPads
for regular use first this mimics how
screen time was consumed when I was
growing up back then screen time was a
communal activity families gathered
around the TV and it naturally
encouraged connection watching something
together on a big screen or even your
child feels more interactive and social
rather than isolating kids fighting over
what to watch because you're watching on
the big TV teach them about taking turns
choosing versus allowing them on their
own devices second small devices like
tablets and phones are designed to be
hyper personal and portable which can
make screen use harder to manage I know
all of us adults have been there it's
easy for kids to develop a habit of
watching in bed at the dinner table or
on the go which can interfere with
routines like sleep and family
Connection by sticking to a larger
screen screen time stays more
intentional it's not something they
carry around and use on impulse now if
you have a portable screen like an iPad
or a tablet and hold boundaries that's
great but just make sure you're mindful
of its use and also too much close work
like watching TV on a small device can
lead to myopia or nearsightedness
something I go over in this podcast
episode for meals typically no screens
at the table for us it's the perfect
time to chat about our day listen to our
favorite music talk about what we're
grateful for and engage with the kids as
parents who work and don't spend as much
time as an atome parent with our
children it's also a great opportunity
for connection also here's the thing
when kids are glued to a screen during
meals they're not tuned into to their
body's hunger or fullness CU suddenly
eating becomes a Mindless activity and
they might overeat undereat or just poke
at their food because they're too busy
watching a cartoon or a television show
meals are also a chance for kids to
discover the magic of food textures
flavors smells all the little sensory
details that help them build a healthy
relationship with eating screens turn
all that into background noise and
that's just too good an opportunity to
miss now sometimes we're watching a
sports game as a family and that is
intentional communal use as we're
watching TV while we eat and making it a
social experience at restaurants screens
are our last resort and we rarely use
them at restaurants or we use it if
other kids are watching in our group and
our kids are feeling left out and they
want to most of the time we keep at old
school walking around until the food
arrives or bringing fun activities like
coloring books or small toys just like
we did when we were kids when the food
arrives we focus on eating and enjoying
the meal together occasionally if our
children finish eating and my husband
and I are still enjoying dinner we might
let them watch something but that's the
exception and not the rule for us dining
out really is about connection
conversation and keeping the focus on
the experience and not the screen the
reason for this eating out or eating is
a social activity for us and we want to
encourage patience encourage boredom
because from boredom creativity can come
like the other day my son and I went to
dinner on our dinner date and we don't
have screens and we played air hockey
with a plastic lid we were just flicking
it back to each other while we waited
for our food it was so fun and no
screens were involved and we also don't
want our children to become Reliant or
expect that this is the norm when they
go out that the moment they sit down at
the table that they're getting a screen
like we said this is the exception not
the rule we also have a no screens in
bedrooms rule which means we do not have
any televisions in bedrooms no iPads in
bedrooms and plan to not allow this as
they get older to minimize use in spaces
of sleep now if our child is a teenager
and needs a screen for schoolwork we
will make exceptions to this rule no
screens on during play now if we're
playing with our children we don't have
the TV on in the background because it's
play time it's not not have the TV on
time occasionally we will have music on
that we enjoy as a family while we play
as well unlimited video chatting Grandma
calling awesome catching up with a
friend amazing we don't count this at
all towards screen time use because it's
intentional social and there's
reciprocity there's smiles there's
questions and there's interaction that
being said we as parents sometimes limit
video chatting because we end up being
the translator translating toddler or
preschooler talk to the grandparents or
family members or we're chasing around a
kid with with our phone and it's just
not an enjoyable experience for travel
on flights after one year of age we
allow our child to use a tablet but we
also bring other activities like card
games and toys Buckle toys for our
toddler our son has an iPad which is
locked away and it's his travel iPad and
we give him full use on flights he knows
this is the rule and loves having his
iPad on airplanes how we see it is we as
adults are eating snacks and watching
stuff on a plane so so can our child our
toddler can watch too but she's usually
too Wiggly to want to watch for so long
so we bring books and toys
for car rides we skip screens in the car
to keep things simple and old school why
because car rides are the perfect
opportunity for boredom creativity and
connection just like the good old days
instead of everyone zoned out on a
screen except the driver we make it a
chance to chat laugh and come up with
games like I spy looking at clouds and
figuring out what shapes they see or
counting how many red cars we see we
also love listening to audiobooks or
singing along to our favorite songs yes
even the toddler Classics that get stuck
in your head forever and we practice
turn taking my son picks a song I pick a
song my husband picks a song and it
really creates a connected
developmentally enriching environment
taking those car trips also screen use
in cars can lead to more emotion
sickness and less of a chance to nap so
we chat we sing and play and hope they
take a little snooze these moments turn
car rides into this amazing family time
where we're all engaged and present for
us car rides are more than just getting
from point A to point B and they're a
chance to connect create memories and
let imagin
Rome and I love watching my son let his
imagination run wild when he tries to
make shapes out of clouds it's a really
great way to turn boredom into
creativity on my son's preschool days we
don't do screens on school days unless
there is a sporting event to watch as a
family on weekends we're more flexible
about screen time we actually don't have
major rules or numbers if we're outside
and Physically Active we don't worry as
much about screen news sometimes we
watch a movie or a television show my
daughter will watch with my son on the
couch and we usually try to do a session
in the morning or the afternoon and
balance the rest with playtime or other
activities we spend a lot of time
Outdoors we spend a lot of time doing
physical activity which is why I don't
worry so much about an hour two hours 3
hours in the grand scheme of things when
we live a very healthy active Lifestyle
on sick days we treat this more like the
weekends flexibility is allowed here as
long as rest meals and other play
whatever they can do because they're
sick is possible because how I see it
when I'm sick I want to sleep and maybe
catch up on my favorite show another big
aspect for screen use is not just our
kids screen use but ours as well we put
our phones away during dinner time since
this is our protected time and also
during play occasionally we may look at
the phone especially if they're watching
their own TV show on the television but
we monitor our use to set an example for
our kids how I see it I want our
children to know that we value their
time and that we are there for them when
we are spending time with them that I'm
not distracted and that I'm not working
and then going back to them and not
really present and this can be really
hard for me as a as someone who has a
platform that's online my social media
channels YouTube podcasts all of that
but I notice when it's too much I notice
when I'm literally spending time more on
my phone than with my kids and I put the
phone away it's really an easy way to
model healthy screen use for your child
another big thing we do is watch for
Behavioral changes with screens when it
comes to screen use we do watch for the
following inability to transition after
the show or zoning out if our children
have meltdowns after programming we
would consider either changing the type
of programming or limiting the time my
son was more prone to this even as he
got older so it was important to be
clear about screentime boundaries if he
zoned out where I couldn't get his
attention or there's repetitive eye
blinking we also would take a break
these are all things I watch for with
screen use with my kids and as a
reminder as you're watching me on this
screen ironically if you're finding this
video helpful be sure to subscribe so
you can get more content like this on
child health development and behavior
setting boundar boundaries around screen
time can feel challenging but it's all
about Clarity consistency and following
through with your screen time Vision as
caregivers we Define our screen time
philosophy intention over default and
stick to it here are some relatable ways
we set boundaries and encourage
cooperation while also handling
meltdowns when they arise we incorporate
screen time into our routine but ensure
it's not the main focus of the day
screens are only allowed after Key
activities like outdoor play meals or
school work so they don't become the
first or only thing our kids turn to to
make Transition smoother when our son
was younger we used timers to set clear
limits letting my child know how much
time they have when the timer went off
he would help turn off the screen which
gave him a sense of ownership and
responsibility I also provide a
five-minute warning before screen time
ends to reduce surprise and make the
transition easier an example of what
this can look like when the timer goes
off hey the timer's off screen time's
over do you want to press the remote or
do you want me to this allows them some
sense of control after the boundary has
been set I generally prioritize
educational content or content that has
positive messaging so shows that teach
problem solving empathy kindness or
creativity are all great options while
we allow fun content like Spider-Man now
and then my kids are obsessed with
Spidey and his friends or bitey as my
todler calls it I aim for variety to
balance engagement over passive watching
kids are more likely to cooperate when
they feel involved in decisions I talk
to my preschooler about why we have
limits on screens and offer choices
within our boundaries for example do you
want to watch X or Y give them two
options and let them decide would you
like to watch for 20 minutes now or 20
minutes after lunch you set the duration
but let them decide we often say two
episodes or one episode instead of
minutes giving them a say empowers them
to make decisions and feel like they're
involved but you're still the boundary
Setter even with the best plans and
preparation meltdowns can still happen
when it's time to turn off that screen
trust me I've been there when they do I
remind myself that this is about big
emotions not manipulation I take that
deep breath keep my tone calm and steady
myself for the moment I validate their
feelings by saying something like I know
you really wanted to watch I love
watching this too but it's okay to feel
upset but it's time to turn off the TV
to give them that sense of control I'll
ask do you want to turn off the TV or
should I this small Choice can make a
big difference in how they handle the
transition once the screen is off I
quickly redirect their attention to
something engaging like playing with a
toy or going outside or starting another
favorite activity most importantly I
stay consistent once a limit is set I
don't backtrack this helps reinforce
that boundaries are non-negotiable and
teaches my child that even though
stopping screen time is hard the rules
are there for a reason to avoid
unnecessary struggles we also have a
clear schedule so my son may wake up and
we'll say hey we're going to have this
and you can watch your TV show after
lunch or after you wake up from your NE
app if they know when screen time will
happen they're less likely to beg or
argue for it at other times and we also
offer engaging other activities screen
fee activities that can fill the Gap
like crafts books outdoor play
activities so that they're not always
thinking about screens creating balanced
screen time rules involves considering
your child's development family needs
and overall well-being here's how to
craft an intentional approach start
early with intentional use before one
year avoid screens except for video
chats focusing on Independent play or
play with another sibling or play with a
caregiver one to two years c-watch
screens to Foster language and
connection using them as a tool for
development and not the rule set clear
boundaries screen free zones keep
screens out of the bedrooms meal time
and during play to promote mindfulness
and connection delay personal devices
avoid iPads until 3 to four years of age
sticking to communal screens like TVs
for social viewing even after that to
minimize dependence and protect visual
health prioritize quality content choose
educational and positive shows ofo
voiding overly stimulating programs with
bright colors and fast moving images
that can make transitions harder for
many children encourage cooperation use
timers and let kids help turn off
screens to build responsibility offer
choices like picking between two shows
or how much time and adapt to context be
flexible on sick days weekends or travel
balancing screens with other activities
like books or toys this is key to avoid
guilt around screen use model healthy
habits limit your own screen use during
meals and play time to set a POS
positive examples and set healthy
transitions use visual timers validate
feelings and redirect to engaging
activities if meltdowns occur and
incorporate it as part of a routine so
they know what to expect by being
intentional and consistent you can
balance screen use with your child's
development Health and Family connection
which to me are the important things
that screens can take away from but it
can also help to remove the guilt
because screens are a part of our life
and when you're balancing it with other
healthy activities using it for an hour
two sometimes 3 hours when that's not
the rule but it's the exception is okay
what are your go-to strategies for
managing screen time share your tips or
relatable screen time battles in the
comments below as a reminder I have a
team of medical and parenting
professionals answering questions if
this video gave you a new perspective or
just made you feel a little less alone
in the screen time struggle give it a
thumbs up share it with another parent
who needs it and hit that subscribe
button for more tips and tools to boost
your parent parenting confidence
parenting isn't perfect and neither is
screen time you're going to have moments
that e and flow but with a little
balance and intention you're doing great
stay informed stay empowered and I'll
catch you all next time on this screen
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