How to manage children’s screen time.

With Mairead O’Sullivan, AfA CEOPs Ambassador.

Screen time can be an easy way to keep children entertained during this difficult time. Many people are struggling with activities that provide entertainment and fill in some of the extra time that we all have at the moment. We as parents also have to work, do chores and carry on with some of the day to day activities that exist on top of trying to support our children.

So I have been looking up some information that tells me about what the risks are and how I can take steps to look at the time my children are on line. I am also conscious that I have let this slip during lockdown. So here is a reminder to myself that I thought I would share with you. The fact sheet is titled ‘How to keep your child safe this summer’, but I think it is relevant in this time of lockdown which feels a bit like that extended time of summer when kids are bored or looking for something to do. Some of the ideas that are going to be hard for me to do, are agreeing the children are on the screen too much and then looking at my own time on the phone!

Click here to read the Parents Factsheet – Safeguarding Training Centre

Here is also a link to some parents guides to some of those latest trends and titles that children are talking about! I
particularly like this site as it’s my go to when the children say ‘can I download?’

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/parents-ultimate-guides

Most of us are now familiar with TikTok as it is the latest craze that is sweeping the nation. We see it on adverts, on television and the children are practising all their funny moves and making videos to upload to their friends. It is one of the better ones I might add and it does like many apps have an age restriction of 13 on it. As we know many
children who are younger are using it on their parents devices an in fact many adults are getting in on the act! As far as I am concerned it is relatively safe but like all of these apps we have to be vigilant to trolling and the dangers this poses for our children.

I have included a link to a fact sheet about TikTok that gives information to parents about the app.