Are you worried because your child’s screen time is exceeding the limits?
Well! Most or rather all the parents in the 21st century are.
Technology is a boon if it does not exceed the thresholds. Television and mobiles are good for entertainment but they come with a long list of harms that they are potential of.
Too much screen time can not only weaken your child’s eyesight but it poses various other threats as well.
Parents try to find innovative ways to explain their children. Teachers take lessons on the harmful impacts of excess screen time. But unfortunately, it is not easy to distract a child from the addictive world of entertainment.
You have to offer young minds something more attractive and occupying.
Here is the list of alternatives parents should introduce to replace television and mobile screens!
- Crafts, crafts, and crafts
Preschoolers, toddlers, or older children, all love creating new things. This keeps them occupied and constructively builds their skills. Children will enjoy the art of creating and this will cut down their screen time to large extents.
Get them clay, color papers, child-safe scissors, glue, colorful beads, and a lot of things and watch them create something new every day.
They might start by making greeting cards and gradually learn to do their school projects independently.
- Indoor games
There is a wide range of indoor games that can replace your TVs and mobiles. Carrom boards, indoor bowling, Jenga, ludo, chinese checkers, and a lot more.
These games have the superpowers of keeping not just children occupied but even adults. You can easily distract a child by asking him to join you in the game.
You can bond with your child on another level while playing with them.
- Gardening
If you have a small backyard or some spare pots lying on your terrace, encourage your child to start growing something of his choice.
Gardening is science and it enhances a child’s motor skills. Tell him to research first and then get started with the work. Ask him for ideas to decorate his little garden. This way gardening will develop all his five senses.
Your child will learn a lot about the flowers and vegetables that he grows. They will discover a lot of things about the environment. So just let their hands and clothes get dirty!
- Reading and writing
Encourage your child to read by taking him to a bookstore and allowing him to pick his favorite books. Ask him to get ideas for decorating his reading corner.
Get him a fancy diary and colored pencils and ask him to write or draw whatever he learns or experiences every day. Fancy things are very good at getting a child’s attention.
This will serve multiple purposes for you. It will develop your little one’s reading and writing skills and also keep him away from the television.
- Swimming
Swimming is a great alternative that will boost your child’s body confidence and turn his lethargic lifestyle into an active one. Swimming has a lot more advantages for young people.
Children develop motor skills and balance and it is a great sport for maintaining overall health.
Motivate your child by telling them about great swimmers and the numerous advantages of swimming. This is a viable option that will replace televisions and mobiles in their lives.
- Doing chores
Take the help of your children in household chores. Take their help in rearranging their closet or in cleaning their rooms. They can be very much helpful in cleaning cars and storerooms.
Indulge them in whatever you do. Make them feel you need them. This will make them responsible and active.
- Puppet shows
It is super entertaining to narrate stories with hand puppets. Call your child’s friends home and they can enjoy a puppet show.
It will stimulate their imagination and creativity. They will learn social skills and a lot more. Encourage them to create their puppets using paper.
- Helping mom in the kitchen
Children can be great assistants in the kitchen. They can help you prepare salads.
Treat young chefs with respect. Teach them how to make raw sandwiches or anything else. They can help you serve food or prepare the dining table.
By doing this, you are making your child fit and independent while also keeping him away from the television.
- Invite a friend
Ask your child to invite his friends that live nearby your place. By doing this a child learns how to be social. They develop basic etiquettes of being a good host.
This improves the child’s ability to make friends and the more people he gets to know, the better he understands their vibe. It is very important to develop the senses of a child from a very young age.
- Cycling and exercising
Rather than sitting in front of a television screen for hours, encourage your child to go out and cycle or simply indulge him in other physical activities that will boost his body development.
Cycling energizes a child holistically and strengthens his muscles. It is an aerobic activity. It develops strength, balance, and overall fitness.
- Sit with grandparents
Grandparents provide stability and security to children. In an interaction with them, children can learn so much with their words of wisdom.
Children should cultivate a habit of spending time with their grandparents. They can spend time listening to stories or their life experiences.
Besides numerous other benefits, children learn about the heritage and the importance of culture when they spend time with their grandparents.
- Learn a new language
Children can spend a part of their day learning a new language and trying to communicate in it. This will keep a child super occupied and motivated to learn a new word every day.
Appreciate his efforts and motivate him further. Your child will rather want to spend his afternoons learning new words than sticking his eyes to the screen.
- Recycle waste
Children can spend their time recycling and reusing waste. They can create vases from old plastic bottles or make a paper mache earth by recycling old newspapers and magazines.
You can teach them three R’s- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle and ask them to incorporate them into their everyday lives. You will be surprised to see how they come up with innovative ideas and suggestions.
You can ask them to decorate their garden with recycled material or talk to their friends about various things they should reduce using. This will help them learn and grow organically from the examples around them.
This list is never exhausting. Think out of the box to distract your child from the television and mobile screens.
Gone are the days when unplugging cables was an easy way to keep children away from the TV. Modern-day parents have to work a little harder!
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