Struggling With Screen Time Addiction: My 5-Year-Old's Tantrums Are Out of Control - What Can I Do?

Ans: Dear Divya, Hope and fear in my opinion are the strongest emotions. And we learn parenting on the job. Secondly, mirroring is a well-worked upon strategy. Technology, including screen time gives us 'dopamine' and increases our senses uses. On the contrary, a normal paced life seems no fun and 'monotonous'. Every child wishes to push boundaries and present their self-identity. This leads to arguments and tempers soaring on both sides, a parents and also from the child. Strategies that help: 1. Put down your device and talk of your day to the family. 2. Listening, and agreeing, discussions as a family while eating meals is a great connect. 3. Having no-tech zones as bedrooms and dinning tables is another. 4. Lastly, give the child half an hour during a weekday and an extra 1 hour during weekends helps. It's 'what should I do' 'I am bored' reasons that demand the 'dopamine fix. And Divya, inviting children of the same age who all play together with your child works. Family game nights, dancing together and bed time stories work too. Do revert, on what worked.

Ans: The screen time takes away lot of productive time of the child and doesn't allow them to develop their skill sets.
So to reduce it , we need to take care of following:

1.You should gradually reduce it and at a time when you are there to monitor and are able to spend time with him.

2.You should be giving him equally reinforcing activities( reading books, sensory activities etc) so that the child is able to spend more time with Activity instead of gadgets.

3. Consistency is the key , hence being consistent with your efforts is important.
4.Once you achieve the goal of reducing at one time, you can gradually start the same at other time intervals too.

Ans: Coming out of screen addiction is hard but with your consistency and resilience it can be done.
You can take a note of entire number of hours been spent on the screen.
After this try to reduce it by each day or two only half an hour to hour and praise the effort taken to do that. Motivate your child to have some fun times together with you by going for walks and starting participation in some sort of games together. It's going to be a gradual process then it will not be overwhelming for both of you.

Ans: You can involve the child in alternative activities and keep him engaged. There can be various sensory Activities like sand Play, water play etc. which will be equally or more reinforcing and this will help you to reduce the screen time.You should avoid giving screen time and it should not be more than 15 to 20 min in a day.