WELFARE/WELLBEING

Dear Parents/Carers,

Being in lockdown again, I’m back to thinking about technology use and our students using it safely and appropriately. Particularly regarding their sleep habits whilst learning from home. Primary school aged children need 9-11 hours of sleep per night. Using technology before bed can affect how quickly our children fall asleep, as well as how well they sleep. Screens are stimulating, and the blue light can suppress their melatonin levels, which in turn makes it harder for them to fall asleep. For some of our older children, they can be tempted to stay up late talking to friends online, or playing games against them. Whilst I believe it is so important for our children to be able to stay in contact with their friends, especially when they can’t see them at school at the moment; healthy use and appropriate time spent on technology is also important for their mental and physical wellbeing. It’s all about balance. Monitoring what apps your children are using, as well as the time they are spending on them is important. Also, ensuring they don’t have access to them after hours - keeping them locked away during the night or in your own room whilst the children should be sleeping are great ideas. Sometimes children knowing that their technology is within reach, or just outside their door, can tempt them to get back on it after hours. 

I’ve included some resources below that you might be interested in reading:

• Screen time and sleep: children and teenagers
• School-age and pre-teen sleep: what to expect
• School-age screen time: tips for balance
• The eSafety Guide
• Free Webinars for parents/carers
  • In particular, the ‘eSafety’s parent guide to popular apps’ is very relevant at the moment.
• Parent resources - eSafety Commissioner 

Please also find below, ‘Screen time tips for your child’.

Emma Rogers