I had my kids listen to this song over and over in the car as we drove back to school this morning. Any Adam Sandler fans out there?

Going back into a school year routine can have some challenges with attitude and expectations. Screen time planning and expectations is a must for this generation. Here is a quick video I made discussing the challenges of poor attitude and overuse of screen time.

Look at a recent online community post about parent’s feedback on the effects of screen time.

“Wondering if anyone has any experience with reducing or completely eliminating screen time for your children? What were the effects on their behavior?”

• Yes. We had to eliminate iPad completly as she couldnt handle when it was time to put it away (and also asking for it when bored instead of just playing with toys ans being creative on her own). I interpreted this as not being ready for it. She was ready when older – no meltdowns just asking and trying to negotiate calmly, to which if the answer was “no” that was it. I felt like the cost was higher than whatever the gain was from using iPad, so it was not worth the drama that followed. I am also quite restrictive with screentime and what is actually being watched. I was not restrictive during lockdown when daycare was closed as we needed to survive and work, and I remember the change in behaviour after this and being less able to entertain herself/more moody

• “I think this is a really good point – that if a child can’t calmly transition off a tablet or video game – that’s a signal to mom or dad that they’re not ready to be using it regularly.”
• Finally, we noticed issues with screen time and eating. Every meal he wanted screen time. He typically wouldn’t eat his meal then. He’d take a couple bites and forget to eat because he was so distracted. So we got rid of that, which was easy because we like to use meal time as a way to converse.”
• “Yep, too much screen = crappy kids in my house. We see a great improvement if we keep it to only after supper.”
• “Yes absolutely. We let things get out of hand during the pandemic and were watching 8+ hours every day, and then his behavior and ability to listen or follow simple directions seemed to take a hit. So we slowly worked our way down to a reasonable amount of time for our family.
• Some kids have no problem self-regulating and transitioning off a device to non-screen time play, but a lot of kids can’t and that’s totally normal. We just have to help guide them on how to do it.
  

One of the key components for adjustment and success in a school year is a strong and predictable routine. Expectations clearly defined with room to wiggle a bit as needed. One of my speciality areas deals with implementing specific “Screen Time Family Plans.” This is usually a 2-3 session exercise to help build balance and predictability within families.

Have a great back to school week!