With the arrival of the summer holidays, children have more free time and it is common for them to seek entertainment with devices such as mobile phones, tablets or video game consoles. Screens can be a good leisure resource, if there are pre-established rules to control their use. Otherwise, your children will end up spending long hours in front of these devices, which can lead to the adoption of a sedentary and individualistic lifestyle, with changes in sleeping and eating routines that this could cause.
To prevent the extensive use of screens from affecting the physical and emotional well-being of your children, we recommend that you follow the following tips:
The healthiest and most rational thing is to limit the time your children spend in front of the screens. For this, it is vital to plan the day’s activities in advance and reserve an hour for this type of entertainment, for example, before dinner. These limits should be accompanied by a series of restrictions, such as the prohibition of checking the mobile phone during meals, before going to bed or while someone is visiting the home.
Remember that your children learn many of their habits by observation and imitation, so it is essential that parents comply with this schedule as much as possible.
The extensive use of screens ends up creating distances between children and their family or their social circle. There are endless activities with which your child can break this vicious circle, such as cooking a delicious snack together, watching a movie together and discussing it in the living room, or opting for board games, such as Trivial Pursuit or the Party
If we don’t stay active in summer, then when? The holidays are the ideal time to plan excursions to the countryside, easy hiking trails or a bike ride that put your children in contact with nature and keep them away from the screens.
Taking some shovels or a ball with you to the beach or the river is one of the simplest and most effective resources to practice sports between dips.
During the summer, children can receive incentives beyond those imposed by the study plans. Surely, at some point of the week, an original theatrical performance, an outdoor cinema session or an open day in a museum will be held in your city that would be interesting to attend.
Free time allows us the privilege of inquiring into the themes or artistic disciplines that arouse our curiosity. A comic of one of their favorite characters or mystery, fantasy or adventure books can help them have a fun time while practicing the habit of reading.
