Who doesn’t love a good snow day? If you are joining my blog from NJ or any other place that gets hit with snow during the winter, snow days can stretch out. The first few storms are pretty and it’s nice to have a day off here and there. However, once you are on snow day #5, it’s freezing, and you’ve had to cancel plans again, it gets annoying. A snow day can turn into the perfect (or not-so-perfect) day to sit around and binge-watch Netflix or scroll on social media. However, screens weren’t always around for snow days (yes, I know… shocker!). Sitting in front of a screen all day isn’t the healthiest or most productive way to spend the day. If you are looking to make your next snow day screen-free, or at least include less screen time, check out some non-screen-related snow day activities below.
5 Tips for Appropriate Device Usage
Let’s talk about devices and screen time. This is a hot topic that I frequently discuss with the parents of my patients. Since COVID-19 and the summer vacation being here, I have discussed it even more often lately.
Various studies have shown that screen time can impact eyesight, mood, impulsivity, and self-esteem. That short list isn’t even exhaustive either. Many parents I work with ask me what is an appropriate time for their child to be on devices and how early is too early for children to be exposed to devices.
To further assist in setting appropriate boundaries with devices, here are some tips: