Stop Struggling with Screen Time

This post is part of a collaboration through The Motherhood. Although I received compensation for sharing this information, all thoughts are my own. 

If you’re a mom, you’ve no doubt been involved in a debate about children and screen time.  What kids should be watching, when kids should be watching, and how young is too young for screen time, are all topics that will start nothing short of a full-scale mommy war.  You may have even been judged or shamed by other moms for how much screen time your child gets on a daily basis.  I have no doubt that right now, in a Facebook group, online chat forum, or somewhere else on the vast internet, there are moms debating screen time at this very moment.

Admittedly, I struggle to find balance when it comes to screen time.  As a mom, I need my kids to have screen time.  I need time to make dinner, fold laundry, help a child who is struggling with the homework, or just so I can have a few moments to myself to maintain my sanity.  My kids want screen time.  They want it as a reward, they want it to watch their favorite shows, and they want it to learn more about topics that spark their interests.  But how much is too much?  And are they really gaining anything from what they watch?  It’s no doubt a balancing act, and one that I try hard to get “right”…even if there is no such thing.  So when I was offered the unique opportunity to meet and interview Angela Santomero (creator of the iconic Blue’s Clues and my son’s favorite character Daniel Tiger) about screen time, children’s media, and her new book Preschool Clues: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World, I jumped at the chance. 

A must-have guide for parents, families, and educators, Preschool Clues helps those struggling with screen time to make smart, informed choices about children’s media and understand the benefits of high-quality children’s media.  And make no mistake, there is a difference between high-quality children’s media and everything else out there.  As Angela explained at the very beginning of our interview, not all content is created equal.  Quite frankly, I couldn’t agree more.

Over the forty-five minutes that we spoke, Angela explained that high-quality preschool content teaches preschoolers important emotional, social, and cognitive skills.  It allows them the ability to take what they learned into their world, furthering their engagement.  But in order to reach them, we must first speak their language.  You see, preschoolers may be different in how they grow and learn, but Angela has discovered several universal truths of preschoolers, such as:

• All preschoolers play to figure out their world.
• All preschoolers need time to Pause.
• All preschoolers like to Repeat.
• All preschoolers imitate their parents as the “stars: of their show.
• All preschoolers, universally, want to help.

By identifying these commonalities, she’s been able to develop a language designed to engage and connect with kids.  When you consider that preschool years are some of the most critical when it comes to brain development it’s even more important that we speak their language and connect with them.

So what are you as a parent looking for in screen time?  Angela broke it down for me in smoothie form.

The first thing you want in your child’s healthy media smoothie are the educational components, or the greens.  This is often where parents make mistakes.  Not everything that claims to be educational really is educational.  Rather than relying on a program’s description, think “What is this show teaching my child?”.  If you don’t know what the show is trying to teach, that’s a big red flag.  Next, you add interaction.  This is the protein of your smoothie.  Lots of children’s media tries to catch your child’s interest and get them to respond or react, but consider, “Is my child thinking while watching this program?”  Finally, you add in engagement (the sweets).  This is where your child is entertained…because let’s face it, your child isn’t going to want to watch it if it isn’t entertaining.  Ideally, after drinking this healthy media smoothie, your child will go out into their world and apply what they learned in the program.

So all that guilt and shaming going on in Facebook groups, online chat rooms, and so many other places on the internet?  Well, it turns out that none of it is really necessary.  As Angela explained before our interview concluded, parents shouldn’t feel guilt over allowing their kids screen time, provided that it’s high-quality content.  In fact, parents should encourage it.  Harness the power and influence of your child’s favorite character and make them another learning tool in your educational tool box.  Make screen time a bonding experience with your kids whenever possible.  Using the right media to teach and guide preschoolers can actually be a very positive experience not only for the preschooler, but for the family as a whole.

Do you struggle with screen time?  If so, be sure to preorder Angela’s book, Preschool Clues: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World so you’ll be the first to get it when it officially launches on April 3rd!