Parenting is hard — especially when you have Not enough time to yourself and young ones who demand round-the-clock attention and stimulation. You’re not by yourself if you’ve ever trusted “electronic babysitters” to tend to your son or daughter when you’ve got try to do.

Too Much Screen Time?

Televisions included in car seats. iPads with thousands of games. Cellphones! “Electronic babysitters” are really at our disposal when we want our kids to be distracted.

What’s the big deal? It’s a well-known proven fact that screen time also increases sedentary time. Generally, it discourages physical activity as well as for both children and adults, this could mean poorer health as an excessive amount of media use has been linked to:

• Poor sleeping habits; difficulty falling and staying asleep
• Increased risk for attention problems
• Anxiety, depression and loss of focus
• Increased risk for overweight or obesity

Not known to many parents are the guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics which suggest that screen use should be limited to one hour per day of high quality programming for children ages 2-5. Yet for many families, screen use far exceeds this amount.

Is it finally time to abide by screen time rules? Do those rules need to be expanded to include no more than one screen at any given time? If health, wellness and mindfulness are priorities you would like your family to live by, it may be worth re-structuring your digital habits.

Shaping an energetic Family

Making the shift from screen time overload to more enriching activities can encourage physical activity that meets standard health guidelines for everyone. Here are some ideas to encourage off-the-couch engagement for the whole family — including outside fun!

Set Limits and Encourage Playtime

Media use must have reasonable limits as offline play can stimulate creativity. Make unplugged time a priority and limit screen use to some preferred number of hours each day/week.

Log Screen Time vs. Active Time

To get a better understanding of your family’s media habits, log a week’s price of screen time and active time. Make changes according to your goals and priorities.

Create Tech-free Zones

Remove media-centric distractions from specific rooms of the home or times of day. For example, turn the television off during family mealtimes and social gatherings, or remove televisions from bedrooms to prioritize rest, sleep and independent play.

Don’t Make Screen Time a Crutch

When someone in the family (including you) is stressed, bored or anxious, look to a stimulating activity beyond screen time. Encourage other coping mechanisms such as physical activity, arts and crafts, journaling or time spent exploring outdoors.

Be a great Role Model

Remember that limiting screen time doesn’t just affect your children. More often than not, they model their behavior from you! By prioritizing exercise and other forms of engagement in your time, your family is more likely to do that too.