Screen time limits: How to focus on quality, not quantity

With a long, hot summer ahead and the temptation to allow your kids a little more screen time, Dr Kate Highfield admits it's a challenge for parents.

"The ideas of screen time limits aren't necessarily helpful," she said. "They cause some families to feel incredibly guilty and others to watch more screen time than they normally would."

Under two-year-olds should have no screen time, Australian Government guidelines say. Children aged 2-5 years should have no more than one hour daily, while 5-17 year olds can have up to two hours daily. Figures do not include screen time needed for school work.

The federal government adds, that to help your children grow healthy and develop good habits for life, that sedentary screen-based activities should be avoided.

Dr Highfield, who is the Australian Catholic University's School of Education deputy head, said metrics of time are unhelpful for busy parents.

"We have to look more closely at what's happening on the screens rather than just the time limit," she said.

Most children watching a screen are not sedentary, unless they're watching streamed media, Dr Highfield said.

"Most children, as they watch something on television, jump up, act out, engage in the game, and this is where the argument isn't really about screen time, it's about screen quality," she said.

Shows like Play School, Wiggles and Emma Memma have an "active call out for children" and urge kids to hop up, take part and do the actions.

Screen time becomes sedentary when watching streamed media because it goes from episode to episode without a break, Dr Highfield said.

Screen time becomes a problem when you think it's a problem, Dr Highfield said.

"You might see inappropriate behaviour being acted out, you might see inappropriate language or you might just in yourself know 'yep, that's too much'," she said.

Need a moment to pay the bills, make a phone call or put the washing on? There's many opportunities for screens to become a quick and easy babysitter.

During this interview, Dr Highfield admitted her five-year-old was being "babysat" by a screen, but she urged parents to be present and listen to what their child is watching as much as possible.

"Being present in that space, listening to what children are watching, avoiding headphone use so that you're able to listen and moderate," she said.

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Know what your child is watching or playing, and then ask about it later. An example she used: "you were playing Minecraft today, what did you make?".

Or, have a pre-conversation "what are you thinking you'll watch today" or a post conversation "tell me what happened, I didn't get to watch that with you".

These conversations help build language, comprehension, explore problem solving and let your child know you are interested in their world.

It's important to give your child new opportunities for interaction, Dr Highfield said.

Gaming is a very interactive space, so good strategies are, especially with older children, to help reduce this screen time.

"We need to try and unpack what is our child's need in that space, what are they getting out of their screen time," she said.

It could be chatting with friends, playing games, or escaping into a dramatic space and watching episodes.

"We often, as parents, think that we have to solve every situation, we don't. Sometimes boredom is good. But when it comes to transitioning away from screens we do have to have an active space in this," she said.

Timers can be used to let your child know when screen time is over, or make plans for what to do next.

An example could be: "When the timer goes off we'll finish the episode we're on and then we're going to do X".

That X can be the pool, the park, a puppet show, an art project or anything your child is interested in. Then there's a reason for leaving, something fun and engaging.

Dr Highfield has created a 'box of ideas' for her daughter to encourage her away from the screen.

The ideas are colour coded (eg: red for activities where you need adult help) and they include activities her daughter developed - make fried rice, build the tallest block tower or build a cubby house. When screen time is over, pick a paddle pop stick and the opportunities are endless.