It’s so, so easy to just let a TV, tablet, or smartphone babysit our children! There’s no scheduling involved and no time restraints. You don’t have to look the neighborhood over for a reasonably responsible teenager, and the hourly rate is dirt cheap! So why not rely on Netflix, MineCraft, Disney+ or the Nintendo Switch to babysit our children?
Well, if the health and future of our children weren’t a concern, then this approach would make perfect sense. But, most definitely, the health and future of our children does matter. And while I’m grateful for quality content available on screens that can enrich our lives, we need to be honest about the drawbacks and dangers our children can be exposed to from the World’s Most Convenient Babysitter (WMCB).
For starters, the WMCB . . .
- Cannot feed children nutritious food
- Cannot brush their teeth
- Cannot get our children to bed in a way that promotes healthy sleep
- Cannot administer First Aid on our children (Yay! Babysitters who know First Aid!)
- Cannot provide physical touch
- Does not set time limits on screen-time
- Does not provide active parenting for children
- Disrupts healthy cognitive development in young children
- Can easily provide access to unhealthy content
- Does limit children to sedentary activity
There are surely more drawbacks to the WMCB than I have listed here, but you can get a sense of the reason we ought to think twice about having screens babysit our children. So how do we reign in the WMCB? How do we strike a balance where screen-time can uplift and enrich our children’s lives but doesn’t wreck their lives?
Here’s some principles I’ve found superbly helpful in providing a healthy balance and putting the WMCB in its place.
- Work before play
- Set time limits
- Establish content guidelines
- Screen-free bedtime
Work before play
Having children do their homework, chores, exercise, reading, music practice, and other constructive activities before getting on screens for entertainment is so fundamental to developing a healthy lifestyle. For additional ideas, see The Game Changer.
Set time limits
This one goes without saying that, without time limits, children will be on screens much longer than is healthy for their them. Time limits are essential in keeping the WMCB from encroaching on our children’s health and well-being. See Cutting Back the Tech for more ideas on setting time limits.
Establish content guidelines
Seek out quality TV shows, movies, and games that promote healthy behavior and inspire the mind and heart. A good question to ask ourselves is, “do the values and behavior this movie, or TV show, or video game promote match with the values and behavior I want my children to adopt?” If the answer is no, then this is content we want to limit and perhaps avoid altogether. For additional ideas, see Media Choices: Where do we start?
Screen-free bedtime
Healthy sleep patterns are essential for a healthy life. We can positively impact our our children’s health and well-being by having a bedtime routine that is free of screens. This practice can help children throughout their lives. See Bedtime: A Closer Look, for more details.