TECH – Simple parenting guidelines for media and screen usage.

Screen time is something that worries a lot of parents and medical professionals these days. We’ve never before had babies and children – developing minds – using technological devices as they do today. We know that a lot of things can affect the brain differently in children than adults, but no one really knows if, or how much, screen time can affect children. In The Art of Screen Time, we delved quite deeply into the world of parenting and media usage, but sometimes an entire book can be quite hard to remember and implement (although I definitely think it’s worth a read for everyone). There’s already quite enough things to remember as a parent, so it really helps me to simplify things completely.

That’s why the TECH system resonated so well with me. First of all the acronym is very easy to remember – TECH for technology and media usage.

But what does it stand for?

TECH for Safe Media Usage and Children

T stands for Talk – Talk to your children and listen to what they’ve got to say as well. Find out how they want to use technology and explain your reasoning. A two way dialogue is the best way to find something that works for the whole family.

E stands for Educate – Educate them on the risks and dangers of the internet, screen time and media usage. Give them the information to spot potential problems and make sure they know what to do and feel confident talking to you about any problems.

C stands for Co-operate – In the Art of Screen Time one of the conclusions was that the best way to use screen time constructively was together. Interactive media usage is fun, forges bonds and is the best way for you to monitor the way your kids use it.

H stands for House Rules – It’s important to have rules and boundaries. Having a set of house rules about screen time and media usage gives something firm that children can understand and follow. Misunderstandings can be avoided.

Here it is in info-graphic form, feel free to save, share and print!

And those are the rules that you need to remember. Talk, educate, co-operate and have house rules. A really simple approach to media and screen time which can be implemented from a young age