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How much screen time is really okay for your preschooler? We live in a media-rich culture, and as a parent, you want to give guidance in what can be a complicated area. Your preschooler knows that a favorite show or a favorite song can be found on your phone or your computer. So how can you set helpful, healthy limits for your little one in the area of technology?
Recommended limits
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children spend most of their waking hours either playing or learning. For preschoolers, they specifically advise an hour or less every day of high-quality digital media. For children under 18 months, they recommend using screen time only in the instance of a video chat, say with a parent or grandparent.
Everyday practices
You can help your child to develop a healthy relationship with technology even at an early age! You can do this by establishing everyday practices that help to guide, and where appropriate, limit your preschooler’s exposure to media.
- Set Limits: When your child arrives home from school, you can focus on playing together or fixing the evening meal. Those first two hours may be a “tech-free time,” or perhaps the kitchen and dining room are a “tech-free zone”!
- Watch Together: Sit down with your little one when it is time to watch a favorite show, and then chat together about what you saw while fixing breakfast or eating the evening meal. Processing together will help your child to talk about any questions that may have come up during the show.
- Select Quality: Choose high-quality videos and music for your child, and preload them to your device. You can also take an old device and retool it so that it is filled with only preschooler-friendly material!
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