Intentional Screen Time (Not what you expect)
As parents, my husband and I have thoughtfully considered how we want to approach screen time with our children. We believe that being intentional goes beyond simply setting a time limit; it's about using technology as a tool for learning and growth.
5 Guiding Principles
Here are five intentional decisions we made when allowing our son to have screen time:
Purposeful Use: Whenever our son uses a phone or TV, it must be for accomplishing a goal or learning something new.
Real Content: We ensure that he engages with real content, such as videos of real restaurants, children going to the dentist, safari animals, or educational videos.
Screen-Free Meal Times: We avoid screen time during meals and bedtime routines, to encourage quality family time and better sleep habits. Meal times are meant to be conversational - share your day with your family and have some laughs.
Goal Setting: Before turning on the device, our son must know what he wants to do or achieve with it, promoting intentionality and focus.
Responsible Handling: We teach him to be respectful of the device, using it properly and taking care not to drop it. After use, he puts it back on the charger for the next time.
Of course, we do also set a limit on the amount of screen time, but it’s more of a generalized rule. If we do grocery shopping on Saturdays, we intentional hold any further screen time that day until tomorrow. If we watch a short movie about cooking on Thursday night, we avoid any additional screen time on Friday. It creates a balance of online and true in-person learning. Afterall, kids love simple hands-on play and outdoor time.
When to Incorporate Screen Time
Here are some instances where we incorporate intentional screen time into our daily lives:
Meal Planning: We involve our son in grocery shopping through apps like Instacart, where he picks items for his meals and helps with meal planning.
Workouts Together: Sometimes, my husband and son follow workout videos on the tablet, focusing on each other while exercising.
Preparing for New Experiences: Before his first dentist appointment, we watched videos of other kids having their dental visits, helping him understand what to expect.
Preparing for His First School: Leading up to his first day of school, we showed him videos of a Montessori classroom, easing his transition into the new environment.
Monitoring Baby Sister: When our baby girl sleeps, my son and I occasionally check the baby monitor while playing, ensuring her safety and involving him in caregiving.
Learning Cooking from Videos: When cooking, we've watched YouTube videos to learn how to make hard-boiled eggs, engaging in a fun learning experience together.
Other Countries, Languages, and Landscapes: It’s important to understand there is a wide range of different people, places, and experiences in the world and we now have the ability to learn that through videos, creating a well-rounded experiences.
There’s many other ways, but here are some of the ways we recently have used screen time.
Our Screen Time Limits
However, we also have guidelines for what we do not incorporate as part of our intentional screen time:
No Animated TV Shows: We do not allow our children to watch animated TV shows, preferring content with real-world connections.
No Strict Timers: Rather than enforcing strict time limits, we let our son finish what he's watching, promoting focus and completion.
No Screens during Meals or in Public: We avoid using screens during meal times, at restaurants, or in social settings to foster meaningful interactions.
No Unsupervised Screen Time: Screen time is always supervised to ensure appropriate content and safe usage.
No Random Exploration: We discourage aimless browsing or switching to unrelated content, encouraging purposeful use.
By being intentional with our approach to screen time, we aim to provide our children with a balanced and enriching technological experience that complements their overall development.
