Week 5: Screen Time
Pick a weekly goal and track your progress.
Last week we learned about healthy portion sizes. This week we are going to learn about children and screen time.
What is Screen Time?
Screen time is time spent on hand-held devices (like a smart phone or a game system), watching TV, or playing video or computer games.
Screen Time Recommendations by Age:
The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed recommendations about screen time for children by age:
No screen time is recommended for children of this age.
Turn off the TV in the background. Even a TV show in the background while a child is having a bottle or eating can be distracting at this age.
No more than 1 hour per day of screen-based educational programming.
At this age, time spent playing is more helpful to child’s developing brain than time spent on a smart phone or watching TV.
No more than 2 hours of screen time per day.
Screen time should be limited because children at this age do not need to have 2 hours of screen time a day.
How to check if your child’s media use is appropriate for their age?
Check out the website Common Sense Media. You can find movies, TV shows, books, and apps that are good for your child’s age group. You can also read reviews written for parents.
Too much screen time in children can:
Put kids at risk for being overweight.
Cause sleep difficulties.
Cause behavioral problems. Kids that spend too much time in front of screens can have problems paying attention, problems relating and getting along with other kids.
Kids that watch shows or play games with themes of violence in them can be likely to use violence to solve problems.
Tips for Reducing Screen Time:
Track your family’s screen time using the We Can! Screen Time Chart.
Replace screen time with physical activity time. After tracking your family’s screen time, replace some of the time spent on electronics with time spent being active together.
Establish some “tech-free zones” like mealtimes and your child’s bedroom.
Find some new activities. Reading, playing games together and doing sports can take the place of screen time.
Be a role model. Limit your own screen time to less than 2 hours a day and also follow the rules for the “tech-free zones.”
Physical Therapist Weekly Tip
“When kids and teens with hemophilia exercise, it can be normal to feel some soreness in the muscles that they used during the physical activity. Soreness after exercising should be on both sides of their body and only last 1-2 days. They should not feel this type of soreness when resting. If they notice pain in 1 side, even when resting, they could have a bleed developing. If they feel worse instead of better, that could be another sign of a bleed.”
— Molly Mays, Hemophilia Physical Therapist
If you suspect a bleed:
Contact your child’s hemophilia treatment center
Follow your child’s treatment schedule
Use P.R.I.C.E. (Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate)