Be a role model for using screens

The best way to instill healthy screen habits in children is, of course, to set an example! Laurence Morency-Guay, a psychology professor and child development specialist, offers some strategies for establishing good screen habits.

Fewer screens for children

Recommendations regarding the use of screens at a young age are quite strict, which is a good thing given the negative impacts that prolonged exposure to them has on children's development. It is especially in the language and cognitive spheres that the consequences are greatest for little ones who regularly use tablets, phones or watch various shows. Screens provide such intense stimulation that they end up messing up developing executive functions: attention, memory and language skills, among others, are affected and diminished, thus emphasizing the importance of controlling exposure to screens.

Fewer screens for parents

It will be even more difficult to help children develop healthy screen habits if their own parents are constantly behind a computer or phone. Adults have the excuse of being much less disturbed than children by screen exposure, but it is still important to think about our use of screens to help children develop good habits, since we act as role models. Social learning is very strong: children observe their parents and reproduce their behaviors. They are interested in what occupies us and they will want to pay as much attention to screens as we do if they are an integral part of our daily environment.

Here are some tips for establishing better screen habits and limiting children's access to them :

• If possible, do not have a television in the family room . Either it is in a cabinet that closes or it is placed in a less frequented room. This way, turning it on at the slightest opportunity is less accessible, which will reduce the habit of watching it.
• Schedule specific times to watch a show (as a family) and stick to those times so you don't lose track of screen time.
• Schedule listening time when the children are in bed or when they are outside : this allows you to dedicate family time to more enriching activities and to fully enjoy this time for yourself.
• Keep computers in designated rooms , such as an office, if possible. This avoids stretching out work periods and doing it in front of children.
• Don't keep phones within reach when you're at home. This makes you less likely to check social media and emails and handle devices in front of your children.
• Put the tablets in a drawer and don't let children under 5 use them to "play". There are no truly educational activities for toddlers on tablets, so we avoid offering them to handle them. School-age children will sometimes have activities to do related to school and can use them if necessary, but we prioritize activities in books, in notebooks or that allow real sensory exploration for little ones, since that's what will contribute to their healthy development.

Obviously, this list is not exhaustive and is mainly intended to inspire you to change your habits. Take these tips and apply them to your family reality, your personal context and your living environment : only you can know what makes you comfortable as a parent!

This blog post is part of our special feature “Managing Screens”. To see all the content in this feature, which offers tips and advice to make managing screens at home easier, check out this article !