All Screen and No Play Makes Your Little One a Dull Child

If there’s one thing kids have in common these days, it’s their love for tablets and smartphones. These interactive mobile touchscreen devices are undoubtedly great gadgets, keeping curious young minds entertained and occupied. While time spent on these devices may prove educational, being glued to the screen excessively can actually dull a child’s overall development. Worse, it may have a detrimental effect on a kid’s developing brain.

So, if you’re a parent and have a young child who’s too attached to the screen, how do you minimise your little one’s use of interactive screen time? Well, the answer lies in filling their time with alternative activities of a simpler nature.

When your children spend less time on screen, it gives them the opportunity to interact with others more in real life. Letting your kids run wild in adventure playgrounds is the perfect time for them to socialise and meet new friends. While the fun lasts for a day, the valuable social skills and cues they can pick up will follow them through to adulthood.

Without a constant stream of entertainment coming from the screen, your children would have to find new ways to occupy their minds. What better way than to introduce them to the world of puzzles and board games? Not only are they highly engaging, they also help to develop your kids’ physical, cognitive and emotional skills. Fixing puzzles and playing challenging board games will not only teach them how to problem solve and be patient, but would also improve their hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

Screen time is sedentary by nature. By letting your children go out to play sports, it counteracts the effect of sitting for hours. Unwinding outdoors isn’t just relaxing –– it is also the perfect setting to learn about reflexes, develop fine motor skills, and build stronger muscles and bones. Above all, there’s nothing that would make a parent happier than seeing their child active, healthy and having loads of fun!

There’s so much your child can learn just from taking a leisurely walk in the park. From remembering names of trees and flowers, to observing wildlife, being outdoors helps to enhance your child’s cognitive abilities. Adapting the pace of nature is also a great way to slow down and step aside from the distractions at home. More importantly, your family can enjoy quality time and new experiences together.

In today’s environment, it would almost be impossible to escape all screen interactions completely. While that’s inevitable, you can actively take steps to protect your children’s well-being and development by limiting their screen time.

One way to look after their eye health would be to give them BRAND'S^® Berry Essence. Chock-full of blueberries, chokeberries and elderberries, each bottle is fortified with Vitamin A, which is essential for functioning of the eye.