8 Tips To Handle Your Kid’s Screen Time During COVID-19

It's been a weird year. That goes without saying. Our kids' extended spring break turned into at home learning due to COVID-19. Playing with their friends ended abruptly, and everyone's routines were thrown into a tailspin in our family.  One thing that we struggle with even before the pandemic was managing our kid's screen time. With the added stress and isolation we faced, it was all too easy to just give the kids their tablet and send them to their room. It was what we could do to find some peace and quiet and keep our sanity. Besides, if mom and dad go crazy that's not good for anyone.

There came a point though when I started feeling like the kids were definitely spending too much time in front of their tablets or watching tv. My 6 year old daughter was reciting commercials on TV word for word and nailing the singing jingles of the commercials. The kids were constantly asking, "can I play my tablet," or "can I play switch." I started feeling like I was failing them as a parent if I just let their brains go to mush. So I tried to figure out how to find a new balance with technology and the kids. Here's what I found that has been working for us.