GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — During the pandemic, it may have been a challenge for parents to limit their kids’ screen time amid lockdowns and social distancing.  

It’s also true that not all screen time is created equal.

Now that kids are back in school, it’s a good time to revisit their relationship with technology in order to keep some balance as they grow.

Dr. Sue Inoue is a family physician from Allina Health and joined KARE 11 Saturday via Zoom to share some pointers parents can use to teach their children. 

Among the suggestions provided by Dr. Inoue are the following:

• Parents of young children (up to 18 months) should avoid screen time altogether and instead focus on prioritizing creative and engaging play time for toddlers.
• At 18 months some media can have a positive impact but should be limited.
• For children age 2-5 we recommend that the parent limit their kids to one hour of screen time per day and really strive to make sure that it’s educational programing
• For children over the age of six, things get tricky. With online school, homework and entertainment, parents can start to feel like their kids are consistently buried in their technology. It’s important to remember that placing hard and fast limits can help parents not only be a viable scapegoat to log off but also sets boundaries that can be easy to follow. 
• One thing that parents can do to make sure that their kids stay connected to their families is the creation of “media free times”. 
  

Visit Allina Health, online.