Kids and Computer Time-What Time is Enough
Quite a number of kids are nowadays just about staring at a screen for much of their time. In fact, studies have went ahead to establish that the average kid aged between 8 and 18 spends an average of 7 hours every day looking at a screen.
Should it so happen to be that your child is forming this statistic, then it is wise of you to start thinking of ways and means to start minimizing your child’s screen time. You need to make efforts to help you watch their screen or computer time in particular for the fact is that most of them spend more time on computer screens than any other. Here under is a look at the hours that you should allow your child enjoy before the computers even as recommended by experts.
We start by taking a look at that for the children below 18 months in age. When your child is still below age 18 months, experts advise that you keep them as far away as possible from computers. Kids at such ages shouldn’t be allowed to use any of these devices applying computer tech such as the smartphones, tablets and computers themselves. The reason for this is the fact that where you so happen to grant kids as young as these ages access to these devices, you expose them to the risk of developing bad habits. Over and above this, they as well are affected in emotional and psychological development when they are allowed to access and use computers at such ages.
It’s only in extreme cases where you may allow a child below age 18 months to video chat with a close relative, only where this is your only alternative for communication. Otherwise a child below a year and a half shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a computer.
Then we may want to see the kids between the ages of 2 years and 5 year old. Once your child has hit the 18 month age and s beyond it, you may now start bringing them up to speed steadily in the computer world. Oftentimes it is the case that kids at this stage of development will have a peculiar interest in watching TV and this will be quite apparent. But it is not advisable allowing them at these stages to spend as much time, sitting for extended periods of time before the screens more so on their own.