Kids and Screen time!

I vividly remember being around 3-4 years old, waking up every morning, placing my wooden rocking chair in front of the television and watching t.v until my mom got up to make me breakfast. So what has changed that now society looks down on parents that let their children watch YouTube on a phone or tablet? Is it the fact that it’s being done in public? I have been given the side eye many times for allowing Aaliyah to use my phone. In fact, I have actually been asked why my 3 her old has her own tablet. However, no one has ever actually asked me what was she watching!


I agree with monitoring the length of screen time for children and the shows they watch, I have no issue with that. The issue i do have is the fact that people are so quick to label you as a bad parent because to them you would rather give your child a phone or tablet than spend time with them. In some cases this may be the case, however if you are going to allow your child to watch shows on your device make sure it’s educational.


We grew up with so many educational shows that if you search hard enough you can still find them. Everyone remembers Barney right? The big purple dinosaur that taught all of us manners and how to be a great friend. Well, I found all of his episodes on YouTube and Hulu. Before Aaliyah turned 2 years old she knew who Barney was. She learned her manners and all the nursery rhymes from Barney our purple friend. She was also able to recite her alphabet and count from 1-10. At age 2 she was able to identify letters and knew her colors, all because the only thing she was and still is allowed to watch is educational videos. 


Don’t get me wrong we played a part in helping her retain the information by continuously reciting the alphabet with her and counting everyday. God only knows how many times we’ve sung the Itsy Bitsy Spider. My point is that as long as what your kids are watching is educational; I don’t see an issue with screen time. A good parent will follow up that educational screen time with exercises and games that help their children grasp what is being taught on the video. People say that technology is killing our young but I believe the improper use of technology is killing our youth. Could you imagine what the disciples could have accomplished if they had the internet and live streaming? Could you imagine what our ancestors could’ve accomplished if they had just a pinch of today’s technology? I believe that we should use every resource at our disposal to train our children to be better than we were. To accomplish more than we could. To cultivate their imagination and reach for the stars.

Love, Jo ​