Teach Mom Learn

Screen time is villainized in so many articles, studies, Instagram pages, and pretty much everywhere. But is it really as evil as everyone seems to say?

Honestly, I don’t know. But what I do know is that it’s an important part of my days with my toddler. Rae has about 60 minutes of screen time a day, but I don’t track it. She rarely sits and stares at the screen, preferring to use it as background noise. When one of her favorite YouTube videos comes on, she has entire dance routines she’s made up, and she expects me to participate fully.

Let me be very clear -I am not an expert in anything related to screen time. My opinion is simply coming from my own perspective, there is no research backing it up. And I’m not speaking as a teacher in this moment, I’m writing this as a mom who uses screen time in a way that I think is advantageous for my child…and for me.

So here are 6 ways you can make screen time more valuable:

1. Use screen time strategically

When you have a toddler, it’s nearly impossible to get anything done during the day. They need constant supervision and entertainment, and the second you’re out of their sight, they start screaming.

I use screen time to go to the bathroom, take a shower, get ready for the day, pick up my house, do the dishes, or cook a meal. Rae loves having background noise while she plays, so I can get about 15 minutes of productive time without her becoming upset.

Using screen time can enable you to complete important or necessary tasks while keeping your toddler happy and entertained.

2. Use screen time to encourage autonomy

Our toddlers rarely get to make choices throughout the day. I try to give Rae as many choices as I can, and that includes screen time. When I’m getting ready to give her some screen time, I let her pick what she watches.

Disney+ is the best option for us. Rae loves all the music in Disney movies, and I love that it’s safe for her to watch on her own. I never leave her unsupervised with YouTube because I don’t want anything questionable coming on while I’m not there. Even some of the commercials can be questionable at times.

By letting your child choose what they’d like to watch, you’re increasing the odds that they will be entertained and happy while you do what you need to do. You’re also giving them control and encouraging them to advocate for their own preferences. Autonomy builds confidence!

3. Use screen time to build comprehension skills

These days, when Rae and I watch movies or YouTube videos, I look for ways to build in comprehension activities. I ask Rae to find specific objects or characters, pausing when necessary.

While watching a show, you can ask simple who, what, and where questions. Encourage your child to recall and sequence events, starting with two and building from there.

As your child gets older, you can start to work on cause and effect and inferencing skills. Ask them why a character feels they way they do. Talk about the impact a character’s actions have on the plot. Keep it conversational and they won’t even know that they’re learning!

4. Use screen time for social-emotional learning

Disney movies and other children’s shows have fantastic examples of appropriate and inappropriate behavior. You can use these examples to help your child learn how to work in different situations.

For the youngest children, work on identifying emotions. Start by labeling the emotions and their causes yourself. As your child gets older, help them to label the emotions. Build on these skills as your child grows.

Talk to your child about character’s feelings and motivations. Discuss how the character’s actions impact other people. Have them come up with different ways characters can resolve problems, especially if they haven’t seen the movie before.

With these strategies, screen time becomes a fun, easy way to build social emotional skills.

5. Use screen time to build empathy

Books and movies are a fantastic way to build your child’s empathy. When they are pulled into a story, either on screen or in text, they are able to identify with characters and situations they’ve had no experience with in real life.

Movies where characters overcome obstacles or experience differences will teach your child to understand others. Wonder is a fantastic example of this.

Historical fiction or movies about individuals in other cultures will help your child learn about life in other times or places, which will help your child value people of all backgrounds and cultures. They may even motivate your child to research and learn more.

Representation matters so much. Children can see others like them on screen. They will find themselves relating strongly to characters who look nothing like them too, which will teach them universalities of the human experience Moana is a great way for children to learn about a new culture and it’s mythology. Movies like Remember the Titans and Hidden Figures are great options to teach older kids about historical struggles while encouraging empathy and respect.

6. Use screen time for snuggles

Right now, my toddler doesn’t want to snuggle very often because she is busy. She loves playing and rarely stops moving. At least until she hears Flynn Rider’s opening monologue in Tangled. Then, she sits down with me, puts her little arm around my neck, and we curl up together for about 15 minutes until she gets bored and wants to play.

I love these moments! I usually put on Tangled to help her wind down before bed or naptime because otherwise she’s running wild. Those few minutes of calm help her to relax and get ready for a well-earned rest. And I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

For more screen time tips, check out these fun, easy ways to make Frozen educational. And for some great screen time recommendations, Common Sense Media has an excellent list of Movies that Inspire Kids to Change the World.

How do you use screen time? What are some ways you give screen time value? Please comment below!