Counselor's Corner: Screen Time

Miss Scharona O. Grimsley

334-585-2185 ext. 120

Take control of your middle schooler’s screen time

Experts agree: Kids should spend no more than two hours each day in front of the computer or TV. By limiting your preteen’s “screen time,” you’ll be promoting a healthier lifestyle and may keep her from becoming a couch potato. To keep your preteen’s screen time under control:

Figure out how much time she spends “plugged in.” Do you really know how long your child spends on the computer each night? Are you sure she only watches “a couple of TV shows” each evening?
Talk to her. Tell her why you’re concerned about her screen time. “I know you love watching TV, but we’re all doing too much of it. Let’s figure out healthier ways to relax and have fun.”
Set limits. If it’s impossible for your preteen to control her screen time, do it for her. “Okay, it’s time for a rule change. From now on, nobody—including me—gets more than two hours of screen time each day.”
Banish bedroom TVs. Studies show that kids with televisions in their bedrooms watch 90 more minutes of TV each day than kids without their own sets.
Offer alternatives. Go biking together. Play cards. Learn a new craft. Show your preteen that there are plenty of ways to have fun—and engage her brain—without sitting in front of a TV or computer screen.

Reprinted with permission from the February 2007 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: “Helpful Ways to Reduce Screen Time,” We Can!

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/live-it/screen-time.htm

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