Managing screen time WHILE HOMESCHOOLING

SMART ADVICE FOR KEEPING TRACK OF DEVICES DURING COVID-19

With schools having gone online during the COVID-19 pandemic, much of a child’s education is now dependent on being connected and logged in at home for hours every day. Here, author of Raising Your Child in a Digital World and digital wellbeing expert Dr Kristy Goodwin give her top tips for managing the amount of screen time in your child’s day.

1 MAKE NEW RULES – AND INCLUDE THE KIDS

We need to recalibrate our screen-time rules. Trying to adhere to our previous limits is only going to set us up for failure.

How much kids are using technology is important, especially if it’s interfering with their developmental priorities, but otherwise focus more on how (selecting apps and websites), when (to see how it fits in with the family and the school schedule) and where (is their bedroom the best place, for example) they’re using it, and concentrate on having boundaries on that.

2 KEEP IT BRIEF

Our brain cannot focus for long periods of time working online. It demands so many more cognitive resources than in a classroom. What I do in my home is do three or four cycles of 15 to 20-minute ‘sprints’ (a period of time where a task is completed) each morning of school, with non-tech physical activities planned in between every session. This is more beneficial than long periods of screen time as physical movement will boost their ability to focus when they are back online.

3 PROTECT THEIR EYES AND EARS

Excessive use of screens can cause myopia. The developing eye needs 10 to 15 hours per week in natural sunlight, so if you can, have the kids spend some play time outside between 8am and 12pm to help decrease the negative impact of screens.

With headphones, ensure they are used at a reasonable level and aim to use earmuff, noisecancelling versions so there is less background noise to compete with.

4 DON’T OVERSCHEDULE

Many kids are missing their after-school activities, so if they have a keen interest in learning an instrument, for example, an online lesson can be a worthwhile addition to their school day. However, try not to cram more into their lives with the many options that are now available.

5 KEEP AN EYE ON SLEEP

If your child’s sleep has been disrupted since homeschooling began, it could mean that they’re exposed to too much blue light from technology. Blue light disrupts the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Getting them outside for a play in sunlight may help them get a more restful snooze.

6 NO-ONE SHOULD BE LEFT BEHIND

Some families don’t have the ability to provide their children with a device or even have the internet at home, so it’s important to contact your school and check what options are available. It might be borrowing one from school, being mailed worksheets, or going in and picking up a package of work. The new educational content on ABC TV is a welcome support for that.

7 TAKE THE RIGHT PRECAUTIONS

Parents have to set up parental controls now more than ever. I use and recommend Family Zone; it’s a small monthly fee to set filters on six devices. It not only controls what your kids can watch and access, but when they do it.

Be aware that many educational links being referred by teachers are free websites, and they have pop-up ads. Kids are being sent to maths websites with pop-up video ads for X-rated websites and teachers are unaware of it. I recommend only using gated sites and subscribing to Youtube channels of approved content.

Not sure if a website, video, app or game is the suitable for your kids? The US website commonsensemedia.org is an excellent and reliable source of information, as is the Australian esafety Commissioner’s website, esafety.gov.au.