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June 27, 2022 | Healthy You | Wellness | 5-2-1-0
Help kids understand why limits are important and worthwhile.
Two hours (or fewer) per day.
That’s the most kids should be viewing or using screens in a day—for recreational reasons. It’s the “two” in the 5-2-1-0 program to promote healthy habits in young people. (This does not include time on screens for online school or other required educational studies.)
Why should families pay attention to how much time they spend on screens?
“There are many reasons to follow this guideline,” said Serena Black, MD, a pediatrician in Springfield, Oregon and the medical director of Pediatrics at PeaceHealth.
From a physical standpoint, here are just a few reasons to limit time screen time:
From a mental or social standpoint, here are additional considerations:
While there’s a lot of excellent content online—from educational programming to inspiring entertainment—limiting children’s time online is equally positive.
“It’s about balance and finding time to also include movement activities and social connections in your day,” said Dr. Black.
Consider that most elementary-aged children have about 13 waking hours every day. Most of those hours should be filled with eating, schooling, chores, physical play and exercise, bathing, brushing and getting dressed in the morning or ready for bed at night.
Here are a few tips to keep recreational screen time to two hours or less each day.
Talk with your child’s pediatrician at the next office visit about strategies for making step-by-step changes that will stick. And be sure to have your child regularly see their eye doctor to check their vision. Read more on vision screening and eye exams for children.
This article is the third in a series about the 5-2-1-0 approach to promoting healthy habits.
Two hours (or fewer) per day.
That’s the most kids should be viewing or using screens in a day—for recreational reasons. It’s the “two” in the 5-2-1-0 program to promote healthy habits in young people. (This does not include time on screens for online school or other required educational studies.)
Why should families pay attention to how much time they spend on screens?
“There are many reasons to follow this guideline,” said Serena Black, MD, a pediatrician in Springfield, Oregon and the medical director of Pediatrics at PeaceHealth.
From a physical standpoint, here are just a few reasons to limit time screen time:
From a mental or social standpoint, here are additional considerations:
While there’s a lot of excellent content online—from educational programming to inspiring entertainment—limiting children’s time online is equally positive.
“It’s about balance and finding time to also include movement activities and social connections in your day,” said Dr. Black.
Consider that most elementary-aged children have about 13 waking hours every day. Most of those hours should be filled with eating, schooling, chores, physical play and exercise, bathing, brushing and getting dressed in the morning or ready for bed at night.
Here are a few tips to keep recreational screen time to two hours or less each day.
Talk with your child’s pediatrician at the next office visit about strategies for making step-by-step changes that will stick. And be sure to have your child regularly see their eye doctor to check their vision. Read more on vision screening and eye exams for children.
This article is the third in a series about the 5-2-1-0 approach to promoting healthy habits.