Screens: The Biggest Nightmare for Parents

Screen time is a major headache for parents and a significant obstacle to a child's development. It poses risks of developmental delays and other problems. We understand how difficult it is to keep your child away from screens these days, especially with some children developing screen addictions. In this article, Kedzo will provide you with ways to protect your child from screen time and suggest the best alternative activities.

How Does Your Child's Brain Work in the Early Years?

The human brain only reaches 80% of its development in the first three years of a child's life, then reaches 90% by the age of five, and doesn't fully mature until the age of 24. In the first three years of a child's life, their sensory centers and senses need constant stimulation and activation.

How to Stimulate Your Child's Brain?

Through play, interaction, and talking to them as if they understand. Let them explore their environment, touch objects, feel them, taste, smell, play in the dirt, and run around. Activate all their sensory centers through exploration and movement, not by sitting still for hours in front of screens.

What Happens to Your Child's Brain When Exposed to Screens at a Young Age? HUGE MISTAKE!

Leaving a very young child, under the age of three, in front of screens for long hours without interaction or conversation and using mobile phones or tablets as a distraction is a big mistake. What happens to your child's brain is similar to giving them a pillow to sit on and stop moving and working. They become completely inactive and lazy. Not only will the brain become inactive in this case, but also the sensory centers on its surface. These centers are supposed to be active and working so that your child doesn't suffer from speech delays, stuttering, and can start to distinguish their environment, pay attention to you and their parents, and become a social child.

How to Protect Your Child from Screen Time?

The key to protecting your child from screens is to spend quality time interacting and talking with them daily. Completely avoid screens for children under three and encourage them to explore their environment by running, playing with objects, tasting, smelling, and distinguishing between them. Also, try different activities to keep them entertained away from the screen.

Alternative Activities

The alternative activity you provide for your child to stay away from screens depends on two important factors:

The child's age
The child's personality

Child aged 5 & above

Child aged 5 & below

Children at this age need games through which they discover their personality and assert their independence. So, you can provide them with games they can play alone or encourage them to play games where they can act, imitate, or give them puzzles or other similar games. At this stage, the child is characterized by trying to prove their personality and show those around them "who they are" and show their existence.

Children at this stage need types of games and activities that depend on feeling and sharing. They need to feel it with their hands or share it with their siblings or other children, such as Lego blocks or any game they can share and feel.

A tip from Kydzzo: Distribute the types of games for your child according to their energy. If your child has a lot of energy and tires you out, give them more active games to expend their energy. And as always, if you have any problems with your child, contact us.