Welcome back parents and carers to term 1 2020

The Student and Family Service hope everyone enjoyed the holiday period and feel refreshed coming back to school.   So many of us use the holidays to relax, refuel and in some cases routine flies out the window.  Well is definitely does in our house!!   So I thought I would take this opportunity to talk briefly about the importance of monitoring screen time.  The holidays can be a time where children may be able to have more freedom around using their devices which can then cause grief if parents and carers  then try to reign it in back during school time.   Devices can be a wonderful addition to a child’s learning and the school encourages fabulous apps to help students with their learning.   The tricky part is when there isn’t a balance and children only access their devices at home to roam social media platforms or online games which have the ability to draw in a child and lose track of time.   Here are some tips that may be helpful in enjoying screen time and creating healthy boundaries:

Role – modelling:   The old adage ‘monkey see, monkey do’ rings true with devices.  As a parent/carer it is important to be mindful of how much time you may spend on a device in the presence of your children

Digital free dinner:   If it’s not possible to do this every week night, consider incorporating one night a week where dinner is at the table without the distraction of devices.   It can be a great opportunity to hear about your child’s day and they in turn hear about their parents/carers day.

Screen time buzzer:   Set an alarm for a time that works for you as a parent/carer and inform your children it is set for x amount of time.  Once the alarm has gone off, everyone puts away their screen.   This can be done in consultation with your children.   We all know children will say so much longer than we will let them but with compromise it can make a child feel empowered and part of the decision making process around their device.   They also won’t get a surprise when the alarm goes off and you are standing there with hand out expecting them to hand it over.

I’m sure there are many parents who at some stage or another have felt a little overwhelmed with how to manage the issues around being part of a digital world.   If you are looking for further reading material there is a informative textbook written by psychologist Brad Marshall “The Tech Diet for your Child and Teen”.   This is available through Booktopia or any good bookstore.   It may also be worth asking at your local library if it can be sourced.   An informative website is Rasingchildren.net.au.   This has a wide range of topics, including appropriate screen use. 

Any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact the Student and Family Counselling Service through the school

Have a happy term 1

Warm regards

Rachael Sheridan –Student and Family Counsellor