Screen time

Screen Time Revisited

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

We are definitely aware that too much screen time is bad for our kids. We’re familiar with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations and attempt to follow them, sort of. But if your kid has ever complained about being bored, or if you are in a busy place and your kid is inconsolable, you know that the tablet, smartphone, or TV screen is your trusty go-to remedy.

And then 2020 happened. TV, movies, games, and remote learning were our saving grace from quarantine. Now that our society is re-establishing a new norm, what does this mean for children regarding screen time? Has anything changed?

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The Non-Traditional Classroom: Your Virtual Learning Setup

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

School is back in session, and it’s something we’ve been anxious about all summer. Thanks to COVID, we’ve seen a ton of different back-to-school plans and after this past month, we’re starting to see which schools are working and which schools are back to the Zoom drawing board.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends in-person schooling for children as it provides social interaction, physical activity, and emotional aptitude. Face-to-face school also offers access to a variety of learning supports otherwise limited with online classrooms.

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Toys for Curbing Screen Time

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Finding toys for your kids can be challenging when you’re competing with a Smartphone or tablet. Here are some recommendations, based on age and development, that help with the challenge: 

Wooden Puzzle Shape Sorter

1-2 years

Children at this age are learning about their surroundings through exploration. Find toys that they can analyze and tinker with to promote cognitive, fine, and visual perceptual/motor development.

Wooden Puzzle Shape Sorter

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child(ish) Q & A: Screen Time

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L
child(ish) Q&A: Screen Time

Since our post “The Importance of Play“, we have received a few questions regarding the use of screen time. Here is a quick cheat sheet if you are in the middle of the screen time battle.

What is screen time?

Screen time refers to any sedentary activity involving the use of visual electronic media. Examples include: smart phones, tablets, computers, televisions, and video games.  Little to no physical effort is utilized during screen time. 

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