Parents need to make efforts to wean children off digital devices by engaging them in non-tech activities writes Mini P The time children expend staring at digital devices such as smartphones, desktop computers and laptops has increased dramatically after the Covid pandemic. According to a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, children’s on screen time spiked by 52 percent between 2020 and 2022. Time expended on handheld devices and personal computers was highest for children aged 12-18 years. The outcome of digital addiction is that a rising number of children are reporting physical and psychological disorders. Therefore, parents need to make efforts to wean children off digital devices by engaging them in non-tech activities. Some suggestions: Physical activity Apart from the obvious option of enrolling children in organised sports and fitness classes, here are some at-home activities that parents can introduce. • Clay. Playing with clay improves children’s fine motor skills. Keep a cardboard/plastic box to store clay and encourage children to play and mould it into varying shapes and designs. • Trampoline. Install a mini trampoline at home. It’s a safe and excellent physical activity for children. • Swing. If you have a garden or large verandah, you could hang a swing for children to use. • Music. Set a daily hour for children to sing and/or dance to their favourite music. Excellent for fitness. • Basketball. A basketball basket can be fixed in the garden or a spare/store room. Also purchase some tennikoit rings for young children to play. • Sand and slime. Coloured squishy sand and slime provide sensory stimuli and improve hand muscle movement. Purchase non-toxic sand and slime and encourage children to play with it. However, ensure children wash hands after play. • Fidget toys. Keep fidget toys such as a sand timer, pop-it or fidget spinner at home. These are stress relievers for children. Calming children • Gift your child soft toys. Encourage her to talk to them and express herself: “You can hug your teddy when you feel happy,” or “You can tell your unicorn why you are angry.” • Encourage gardening. It’s a nature-friendly and soothing activity. The wonderment of monitoring growth of a plant grow from seed to maturity is very satisfying. • Encourage reading. For youngest children, buy touch-and-feel/pop-up books. Read to them and set an example by reading yourself. • Excessive screen watching. This can adversely affect children’s behaviour and make them anxious and irritable. Encourage children to identify, label and overcome negative emotions. • Impose screen time limits. Initially children are likely to react angrily. Respond by suggesting engagement in other enjoyable activities suggested above or cycling in the local park or playing an outdoor sport.
