ngl I think the internet has made us all paranoid about screens. My kids watch shows, play games, use apps. They're also outside, reading, doing sports. Life is about balance. I get more stressed about limiting their time perfectly than they probably need. Anyone else feel like the screen time conversation has gotten a little insane?
What shows are your kids watching? Trying to find stuff that's actually good and not brain-rotting
People get weirdly judgmental about this. It's like you have to choose between being the 'screens are evil' parent or the 'iPad babysitter' parent with no middle ground allowed
Completely agree. The people stressing about an hour of screens when their kid reads and plays sports are borrowing stress from nowhere. Balance is the actual thing, not some made-up zero-screen ideal that nobody actually achieves anyway.
I used to stress about this so much and then I realized my parents had me watching TV for hours as a kid and I turned out... fine? Not a brain-dead zombie. Kids need some downtime just like adults do
lmao the people downvoting this are probably the ones who claim they've never let their kids have screens then mention their kid binge-watched Disney+ during the pandemic
This. My kids watch YouTube while eating lunch. They also ask questions about everything they see and we talk through it. They're not zombies, they're just... kids with screen time like every other kid. The stress parents put on themselves about this is wild.
Yeah but I'm curious what "strategic" actually means in your case? Like are you tracking educational value or just making peace with the time? Genuine question because the strategic part feels like the key difference everyone misses.
the key word in your post is 'balance' though. some people use screens as an actual parenting tool which is valid, others use it as a constant distraction. You seem to be the former
100% agree. The guilt around screen time is honestly more damaging than the screens themselves. My kids watched a lot of TV during COVID and you know what? They're fine. They read, they play outside, they have hobbies.
Agreed but I'd push back slightly - I think the stress you feel about screen time being judged says something about how much of a minefield this topic is. You're right that balance matters more than arbitrary limits
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The pearl-clutching about screens is honestly more damaging than the screens. Kids can have both - structured time with devices AND actual play. It's not binary.