While the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends avoiding all screen exposure before the age of two and limiting screen time to one hour a day for children aged five and older, it is of course up to parents to make their own decisions about screen time when it comes to their children. Some parents will simply decide to ban screens from their daily lives, but is that really the right approach? Laurence Morency-Guay, a psychology professor who specializes in human development and the author of the book “Dire plus souvent non aux écrans pour les enfants” (“Saying No to Screens More Often for Kids,” available in French only), gives us her point of view on the subject.
Since screens are everywhere in today's world, it can be hard to eliminate them completely from children's lives. In that case, you can favour an approach where screens are part of life without being a daily habit, much like using an ice cream maker at home, for example. To do so, it's important that parents model screen use themselves and adopt good habits around screens.
Ideally, you should also avoid putting screens on a pedestal, which would make children want them even more, seeing them as something forbidden that they want at all costs.
Finally, the ability to control one's screen use develops through a child's upbringing and life experiences, not simply through using the screens made available to them. Their various experiences will gradually let them develop, over time, the ability to self-regulate in every area of their life, including screen use.
To learn more about Laurence's tips on managing children's screen use, take the time to watch this video!
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