The days of playing outside until the street lights came on are a thing of the past.\u00a0 Crafting imaginary toys from newspaper and crowns from dandelions simply doesn\u2019t happen anymore.\u00a0 The explosion of electronic devices, video games and TVs and laptops<\/a> in every room is robbing an entire generation from developing a rich imagination.\u00a0 All too often busy and stressed parents are using screens as babysitters.\u00a0 While some programs might well tout themselves as educational, early child hood development experts agree that there is no substitute for creativity and imagination in the development of young minds.\u00a0 If it seems like a lost cause, it\u2019s not.\u00a0 Slowly introduce ground rule for your kids and you\u2019ll begin to see them change. Kids that engage in less screen time are not only more creative, but more social and by far more pleasant. It\u2019s extremely difficult for young minds to sit passively absorbed in motion on a screen and immediately transition into an active environment.\u00a0 This generally results in huge mood swings.<\/p>\n

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Where age appropriate, engage your kids in the process of setting parameters for screen time.\u00a0 The more they are part of the process, the greater the chances they will willingly follow the new rules. If your children are accustomed to three and four hours of screen time a day, this won\u2019t be an easy transition. If this is the case, there may be more success in reducing screen time in stages instead of harshly pulling the plug at once.\u00a0 You\u2019re asking your kids to develop new habits and this doesn\u2019t happen overnight.\u00a0 Initially, limit screen time to one hour per day on school nights and three hours per day on weekend evenings. This includes TV hours as well as games, videos and music video streaming.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need to work with your kids to introduce other activities to fill the time they\u2019ve been spending passively watching screens. More than likely, you\u2019ll begin to see school grades improve as well.\u00a0 Dinner table conversations are apt to be more pleasant and eventually creatively will return and your kids will truly be happier more imaginative individuals.\u00a0 As a parent you are making the right decision that will have a long term positive impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The days of playing outside until the street lights came on are a thing of the past.\u00a0 Crafting imaginary toys from newspaper and crowns from dandelions simply doesn\u2019t happen anymore.\u00a0 The explosion of electronic devices, video games and TVs and laptops in every room is robbing an entire generation from developing a rich imagination.\u00a0 All […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":240,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[36],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n