How we make room for play to help reduce screen time

I hate bringing this up, but do you remember last winter? Ya, last winter sucked!  I could have done away with last winter. Polar vortex is a term I hope I’ll never hear again.  My two boys and I hibernated all winter. We woke up and made our way to the basement, our winter cave, literately and figuratively. The Bears had nothing on us. Venturing outside into the winter mess was low or not existent on our priority list.  I was also in my first trimester so my energy level was at an all time low.  The trouble with all of that is that is we spent way too much time in front of the T.V.  A fact that I would normally hide or deny, but it’s the truth.  We were inactive and my boys watched too much Paw Patrol and Bubble Guppies while I spent too much time on my smartphone. The problem is, we’re not alone! Canadian kids are spending an average of 7 hours and 48 minutes a day in front of television, video games and computer screens. That’s almost 40 hours a week, otherwise known as a full-time job!  I don’t know about you, but those statistics scare me.

This year though will be different, for my family at least.  Not only do I have my energy back and so far (fingers crossed) winter seems to be cooperating, but I also made a resolution this year. This year I’ve decided to live a healthy lifestyle.  It means I’m going to start eating better and taking better care of myself (and my family).  I’ve also vowed to spend less time on my phone while my boys are awake and vying for my attention.

I want to be more in the moment with my children, and I also want to reduce the amount of time they spend watching TV. As a stay-at-home-mom, it’s almost too easy to plop my kids down in front of the television while I prepare food, clean or just need a break. The problem with too much screen time is that it can make it hard for a child to sleep at night, raise a child’s risk of attention problems, and leave less time for active, creative play. Apparently, I’m not the only one concerned with this issue.  ParticipACTION has recently launched the Make Room for Play campaign and they are calling on Canadian families to put down their screens to encourage more active play.

To help ensure I stick to reducing my kid’s screen time, I’ve implemented some rules and created an environment that’s more conducive to play. Specifically, for my oldest son, who attends full-day junior kindergarten, we told him that he can’t play more than three Wii hockey games a day (the equivalent of approximately 30 minutes). To ensue that I get out of the house with my younger two boys, I signed up for a morning program every day of the week within walking distance. Not only are we physically away from the screen, we’re also active in our program and before and after during our walk. When I’m busy preparing our meals, I will try to set up a play area for my boys where they are still visible (mostly because they want to be where I am at all times).  They love stickers and drawings, so I can have them do that on the kitchen island while I turn on the tunes and get food ready.  Of course, once “Daddy” is done work, it’s easy to get them away from the TV because they haven’t spent any time with him all day and he’s eager to do something active with them like play hockey.

Enhance the playground experience by incorporating layers of excitement and safety, particularly in colder months. This may include equipping the play area with suitable surfacing, such as the playground surfacing available from https://www.playground-surfaces.com/. By investing in quality Floor Markings from professional companies like Uni-Play, you can ensure a safe and enjoyable play environment year-round. If you plan on having playground markings installed, then make sure to contact a professional playground markings company.

To help you and your family reduce screen time and make room for play, ParticipACTION put together a list of helpful ideas and tips based on your child’s age range that can be found HERE. Some of those tips include:

·      Eliminate background TV as it’s likely to draw your child’s attention. Instead, turn on music.

·      Set a good example and limit your own screen time.

·      For older children, don’t allow a TV, computer, or cell phone in your child’s bedroom.

Find out more about the campaign here:

How do you reduce screen time at your home?