There’s no denying technology makes parenting easier; it brings endless entertainment for kids as well as plenty of online games and tools to aid education. However, can too much screen time be damaging for young children? The BBC conducted a study which found limiting children’s screen time is linked to better cognition and it recommended that children should spend less than two hours a day looking at screens. In this guide, we look at some of the best ways you can decrease and manage your child’s screen time.

Why should you lower your child’s screen time?

Despite the advantages that technology brings, there are negative effects that young children may experience if they spend too long staring at a screen. According to Very Well Family, these can include educational, sleep and behaviour problems.

John Adams, a dad of two daughters and author behind the award-winning blog Dad Blog UK, tells us: “It should definitely be managed as too much screen time stifles creativity. Kids need to be bored and learn how to entertain themselves without tech, and if you give in and let them have the screens, you're doing them a disservice.”

Screens bring plenty of distractions which may also affect how children engage with the rest of the family. This is something Rebecca Allerton, an Essex mummy blogger from The Twentyish Mum, has experienced with her four-year-old: “Let’s face it, as parents, we need our screen time as much as they need theirs, especially when we need to get the ironing pile tackled and need them to have a little switch-off time! However, screen time turns Frankie, my four-year-old, into a world of his own. He won’t answer me and totally zones out, which I don’t like, especially with YouTube and Netflix there aren’t long breaks in between and the episodes can roll on and on without them having a moment to focus on anything concrete.”

Keep screen use in the living room

Whether it’s watching TV, playing the PlayStation or using any Tablets, set the living room as the dedicated place for screen time. This will help the kids avoid bad habits, including watching TV in bed and playing games on a phone at the dinner table. John from Dad Blog UK suggests: “To encourage good screen time habits, start young. No devices should be allowed in bedrooms and definitely not overnight. Set daily screen time limits. Most devices had parental control functions, or you can buy apps such as the Freedom app or Qustodio that enables you to limit and monitor what your kids are up to.”

Setting control functions is a popular choice among parents and Nyomi, from the feminist family lifestyle blog Nomipalony, uses screen time limits on devices. She said: “I think children are pretty good at managing their own screen time, but if mine seem to be on devices too much then I'll direct them to come off them. Apple iPads have an inbuilt function that lets you set screen time limits of 2 hours a day, so after that point, we would have to approve any more screen time.”

Encourage them to try different activities

Online games and resources can have their benefits; however, nothing will encourage your child’s creativity and cognitive abilities quite like hands-on activities like drawing, writing, playing games outside the screen.

We also spoke to Ella from her blog for tips and advice for single mums Ellamental Mama to find out some alternative things kids can enjoy: “There are loads of things kids can be doing. It's great to keep toys and arts and craft resources in children's reach so they can have a choice in what to do. My sons love drawing, cutting and sticking. We also have lots of building type toys which are a hit in our house. Then there's all the teddies and dollies to play babies with. When given the opportunity, children's imaginations are endless and my pair (aged six years and 1.5 years) always seem to find something to amuse themselves with when there's no screen about.”

John adds: “If you can, put a trampoline in your garden. That gets kids outside and exercising. Get kids cycling or playing board games. Whatever you do, do not be afraid of your kids getting bored. They will whinge and whine for about 30 minutes before drifting off and finding something of their own accord.”

To help encourage your kids to seek entertainment outside the screens, why not get involved yourself? Even as adults it’s tempting to find enjoyment in the latest hit TV show or iPhone game, but sometimes, you can’t top a good old-fashioned board game night. This is another recommendation by Rebecca from The Twentyish Mum: “I love picking up board games for Frankie, Connect 4, Buckaroo and Mouse Trap are a few of his favourites. I usually scour charity shops as he grows bored and recycles what he’s into that week all the time!”

Avoid giving young children their own devices

It can be tricky to know what age to give your child their own mobile phone and/or tablet, especially if the other kids in their class have started to receive them. Recent research by The Guardian discovered that the majority of children own a mobile phone by the age of seven, so for younger children, it might be worth holding off until they reach this age or older. Rebecca tells us: “Every family is different, but in our house, Frankie doesn’t have a tablet, my other half doesn’t personally like the idea of him being so young and having his own. He’s allowed our phone to watch something if, for instance, we’re out eating dinner late and he knows in the morning he can watch milkshake, but there are moments of the day I will turn it off and play a board game or his cars or colouring.”

Introduce technology-free hours

For kids and adults alike, it’s a great idea to introduce technology-free hours in your home. Looking at screens in the hours before you go to sleep can harm your sleep cycle as the artificial lighting keeps your brain active throughout the night. So, the whole family can feel more well-rested each day, just by switching off an hour or two before bedtime.

Ella from elemental mum tells us about her tech-free times in her household: “I try to ask my son, who’s six years old, how much time he thinks he should be allowed before it's switched on and get him to monitor his use to encourage independence and responsibility. I try to stick to the rule of no telly after teatime and certainly not close to bedtime as it often excites my son (though I know some children find it relaxing).”

Introduce an hour or two before your child’s bedtime to switch the household off from technology and instead, have a catch-up, play a board game or read together. If you’re concerned that this will prevent you from getting your jobs done, hiring private household staff can help free up some of your time.

Don’t worry if there are days with longer screen time

If there are days where you are completely swamped with work or household jobs, then don’t feel disheartened if you rely on technology to entertain your kids, more than you usually would. Ella explains: “Like all of parenting, it's about finding a balance that works for you and your family. Don't worry if occasionally all the rules go out of the window if it means mum (and dad) are going to be better rested/able to tackle the to-do list so they can be more engaged parents once it's switched off.”

So, managing your child’s screen time can be a slow process, with some days more successful than others, but trying to limit the use of screens will benefit your kid in the long run.

For quick reference, here are some top tips to manage and lower your child’s screen time:

· Keep screen use dedicated to one room of your home

· Encourage them to enjoy other activities, reading, playing board games, arts and crafts, etc.

· Avoid giving your child their own devices at a young age

· Introduce technology-free hours before bedtime

· Don’t worry if some days screens are used more than others

How to manage your child's screen time