Parents concerned about the amount of time their children spend on devices can harness this enthusiasm to make their family stronger, experts say.
“Families often struggle with the balance between healthy screen time and family time together,” says Associate Professor Julie Green, Executive Director of the Australian Government funded parenting website .
“But screens don’t always have to divide parents and children – they can be used as a force for good too. Sharing screen time with your child is a social thing to do. It shows you care about things that matter to them – and this sends them an extremely powerful message.”
The raisingchildren.net.au website has developed a comprehensive suite of new resources for parents looking for screen time tips and tools. The resources are based on evidence and approved by experts and cover topics ranging from how to get the balance right on screens, to using screens to help children learn.
“Talking about what makes families strong has been a feature of the discussions in the past few days during ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Families Week – and enjoying time together is one of the key ingredients for family cohesion,” Associate Professor Green says.
“Watching videos and playing digital games with younger children and teens is just as valid for building relationships as doing other activities if that’s what everyone enjoys. As with any activity though, it’s important to find a balance — and parents can help their children do this by encouraging them to get outside and enjoy physical activity and face-to-face time with friends and family. It’s also good to remember that screens aren’t recommended for children under two.”
Children and teens benefit most from screen time when parents watch and play with them. Sharing screen time can also help both parents and children learn new things, start conversations on difficult topics or reinforce your family values on social media and other areas.
Family screen time sharing ideas:
Ask your child to teach you how to play their favourite video game or learn about their favourite YouTube star
Make a video together or start an ongoing game challenge like Scrabble
