Growing up we had television and videos in our house. Then a number of years later my sisters and I were given our first game consoles - The Game Boy Colour. While we liked our screens we also enjoyed other things, like playing with our toys and going outdoors. We never had restricted screen time as such, there was no need, as we weren't slaves to technology.
When I had a child of my own four years ago he grew up with television and I am a little ashamed to say he got a Kindle Fire Tablet for Christmas when he was two years old because his friend had one. The television and the Kindle were never an issue, my boy has a healthy DVD collection - Disney classics includes. However, about two months ago, I started to despise my son watching TV or having his Kindle.
He started out like me, with a nice healthy of screen time, playing with his toys and playing outside. Then the trouble started. While he was still more than happy to play outside and soon as he got home he would demand TV - morning, noon and night. He stopped playing with his toys, they sat in a corner gathering dust.
Not only did I feel like I was wasting my money, I felt like my son's brain cells and creativity was rotting away. At one point he had been sat on the sofa all day and watched about four movies in a row. Hardly healthy for a three-year-old boy.
It wasn't easy at first, every time we were in the house he'd actually cry for the television. For the past three weeks that hasn't been the case, he barely even asks for the TV anymore. Now all he gets is a DVD in bed one night a week and his Kindle occasionally, but only if he has been good.
The difference in him is very noticeable in such a short amount of time. Not only does he now play with his toys, but he is more creative and he actually sleeps better at night!
I would recommend to any parent to ban the TV and tablets for their young children, and if I had another child today I wouldn't let them watch anything until they were at least 3 years old. Children don't need television or a tablet.
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