Deputy Principal - Academic

Balancing your child’s digital diet

I have a lot of parents asking me about how to manage the use of technology in the home. As a parent, I too struggle with finding this balance. 

There are many aspects to take into account including the maintenance of mental and physical health; fulfilling school and family duties and ensuring that young people develop a full gamut of real-world communication skills.

For the sake of living a balanced life ensure your child has sufficient time for:

1. Sleep: It’s super important that kids are getting a good night’s sleep. 

2. Boredom: Bored time promotes creative play and thinking as kids are forced to come up with other ways to amuse themselves.

3. Connection: Face-to-face interaction is obviously crucial for children’s social and emotional development and wellbeing. 

4. Physical activity: A healthy body and mind require activity and movement. 

5. Reflection: Students also need downtime that involves doing very little. It is in these moments of reflection, thinking, and pondering, that our ideas come to us and our creativity for other activities flows.

6. Focus: There are times of the day when all of us need to be focused on other tasks. These may be homework, chores, reading a book or the newspaper, building something, or making something. 

7. Family meals:  Sitting at the table with parents, siblings, or others, focusing on enjoying a meal together without the need for a screen, helps children to develop good habits while they are young which they can carry into the future.

If we can use this as a guide and aim to fit the many key experiences our kids need into each day, we are much more likely to ensure our kids grow up with a healthy respect for their screens and a healthy respect for the many areas of their life that need to be nurtured. 

Martine Oglethhorpe