Screen Time for Children

“The Month of the Young Child® (MOYC®) is an annual celebration sponsored by the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (MiAEYC). The purpose of MOYC® is to focus public attention on the needs and rights of young children and their families, and to recognize the early childhood professionals, programs and services that meet those needs.” ~  Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children.

Month of the Young Child® is divided into four focus weeks:

• Week 1- April 1-8: Physical Development
• Week 2- April 9-15: Social Development
• Week 3- April 16-22: Emotional Development
• Week 4- April 23-30: Cognitive Development

In honor of Week 4, focusing on Cognitive Development, we wanted to provide some tools that will help you determine if and when to incorporate electronics and screen time into your child’s daily routine.

The first helpful article titled, “How True Are Our Assumptions About Screen Time?” by the National Association for the Education of Young Children® (NAEYC®) provides some common assumptions about the use of media with young children and follows up with what the research shows.

A second article titled, “Media Use by Children Younger Than 2 Years” by the American Academy of Pediatrics will outline some health and development consequences of screen time and help parents determine strategies for managing children’s exposure.

The final article titled, “Young Children and Screen Time” by the National Center for Health Research shares some ideas for limiting or eliminating screen time and replacing it with intentional, interactive play.

The use of media and screens is a reality of our culture today. Children will inevitably be exposed to electronics and screen time, but it’s up to the parent to determine the context and parameters under which this is done. Ultimately, we know that the use of electronics will never benefit children more than loving, nurturing human interaction.