The house was quiet?too quiet, considering a five-year-old and an almost eight-year-old were home. Walking into their room I saw their blank faces illuminated by screens and I sighed. We’d only been home for a few minutes!
While my kids love a bike ride, playdate or park visit as much as the next child, as soon as we arrive home, the nagging for screen time begins.
It?s true that my husband and I enjoy the peace and quiet that screen time bestows upon us. What we don’t enjoy is the fall out from it.
My family’s problem with screen time
The kids become cranky and irritable about turning off the device, and they’re wired at bedtime and have trouble falling asleep. Suggestions for other activities are greeted with a grunt (or silence); they complain when screens aren’t available; and they ask to use screens even in the company of visiting friends or relatives. At a certain point, it became clear to us that the negatives were far outweighing the benefits. We felt that we had become too relaxed. We had lost control and weren?t sure how to get it back.
I know I?m not alone in feeling like this. Screen time is a major source of mom-guilt. Research conducted by the Canadian Paediatric Society?s Digital Health Task Force found that three-quarters of Canadian parents are concerned about their kids? media use.

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