I often wonder if, back in January 2020, anyone suspected technology would become a staple in day-to-day survival? Our world has transitioned to a place where technology is used for more than money transfers and video games, and that can be scary. Many parents are faced with the dilemma of how to effectively incorporate technology. Most parents are balancing distance learning, general screentime, and the influx of new educational programs. Below are some tips on how to use technology and still keep your child’s screentime between 2 and 4 hours:

Save The Screen Time

I have met many parents that track their child’s screentime. They will often make Fridays “Reward Days” where the screentime is a video game or self-selected online games only. By limiting self-selected screen-time activities to Fridays, parents have more control over organizing screen-time the rest of the week and can make sure the daily threshold they set isn’t broken.

Using the Technology Can Be The Reward

It can seem like a lifesaver to select an online curriculum for Reading, Math, Social Studies or Science. Online curricula is designed to present all parts of the lesson with videos and interactive activities, though. Additionally, they often have a built-in reward system to keep students motivated. All of this means additional screen-time.

So what can you do instead? You can make the online curriculum the reward. If your child does 1-2 hours of offline work, the reward could be the online curriculum (Think Enrichment!). If you like this idea, but feel a little overwhelmed, Focus Online LLC can create a personalized curriculum for your child.

Off With The Camera

When the camera goes off, children are more likely to look away from the screen while processing. Consider speaking with your child’s teacher or tutor and requesting that the camera be turned off for the lesson. Most importantly, make sure that your child is sitting 20-24 inches away from the screen.

Handwriting Is A Skill

Noone wants to spend hundreds of dollars printing every lesson. Especially in Math, what about having your child copy the problems and then shutting off the computer? Handwriting is a necessary skill, and if killing two birds with one stone is possible, why not?

Flip-It

Many parents have changed the time of when their children are allowed to use technology. If your familes uses video games and online activities after dinner, consider an alternative. They can use their screentime before lunch. The child can then become conditioned to understand that screentime is not an option for the rest of the day. Though the initial transition might be painful, it helps with tracking, limiting and organizing screentime.

Unfortunately, educating in 2020 has become a complicated task. In addition to these suggestions, Focus Online LLC can help. Reach out to us for more information: [email protected].