How To Keep Our Children Away From Screens?

Sometimes, when it comes to moderating entertainment, parents are very hard on their children, especially because they don't understand how much time they spend in front of screens. But we don't want to start World War III here; on the contrary, we want to make this problem manageable and enjoyable. There is no formula for children to automatically leave the screens, and that's why we must first ask what are the values that clash between parents and children in these situations.

Parents feel anxious that their children are all day on the screens, and kids just want to have fun playing their video games or chatting with a friend. Treating children while having anxiety is not a good idea, because it will only transmit a bad energy and make a judgment that the child will not understand, and will not feel that these words come from love and compassion, but in a negative way.

It is a matter of compassion, to understand that our children do not do it out of unconsciousness, they do it because it seems to them that they are using their time in something useful and entertaining; this activity motivates them. However, too much screen time is never a good thing.

We have to understand that video game and smartphone companies study our kids' behaviors very well to keep them entertained on them; kids have a hard time finding relevance in regular life after they've gotten out of playing their video games and screens. So this is a bigger problem than it seems.

Parents can understand that kids have the potential to invest their time much better, and through compassion they can get them to see that potential in their own time, and to understand that by leaving screens there's a whole world out there that they can take advantage of in a better way.

The ideal is for kids to find a friend, a person who understands them. So when it comes to take our children away from the screens we must try not to make it a battle, not a "parents win - children lose", but a system of empathy: the parent understands that it is a fun activity, that the other reality is irrelevant to the child, but there are some rules, and as they have passed the established time then it's time to leave.

And at the same time, reassure them that parents are there for them in those moments when they miss video games and feel bored, you can propose games or any activity that connects them with reality and with their parents. This strengthens the relationship and the child understands that there are rules, but also that their parents understand that screens are important to them, because they are part of a new generation that behaves differently.