For Screen Time, My Kids Must Walk 15,000 Steps Each Day. Maybe You Did Something Similar?

Summary

This article discusses a parent's strategy to balance screen time and outdoor activities for their children during the pandemic by implementing a mandatory daily step count before allowing video game access.

Abstract

The article begins with the author's concern about their children's excessive screen time and its impact on their health and well-being. To address this issue, the author introduced a new rule requiring their son to walk 15,000 steps and their daughter to walk 10,000 steps before they could access video games. This rule has been successful in maintaining a balance between screen time and outdoor activities for nearly two years. The children can choose their preferred form of exercise, as long as they meet their daily step count. The author emphasizes that the goal is to ensure their children are active and not glued to screens for extended periods. Although the children may not always appreciate the daily exercise, the author believes this strategy has helped their children appreciate both outdoor activities and screen time.

Opinions

The author believes that children should be more active and spend less time on screens.
The author disagrees with the pediatrician's advice to let children do whatever they want regarding screen time during the pandemic.
The author believes that children should get at least an hour of vigorous activity each day.
The author thinks that children should have a reason and a goal to get more exercise and enjoy screen time.
The author suggests that children can choose their preferred form of exercise as long as they meet their daily step count.
The author acknowledges that children may not always appreciate daily exercise but believes this strategy is beneficial.
The author believes that the goal is to ensure children are active and not glued to screens for extended periods.

And they’re healthier and happier for it too.

I always thought kids’ were meant to be outdoors with friends, exploring, playing games, and doing mindless stuff like climbing trees. But with today’s video games, the outdoors is considering a slow burn of a bore.

If you tell a kid to go outside, it’s as if you’ve asked them to eat every brussels sprout on the planet. So, you relent.

And each day, after a few hours of gaming, my children have spiraling eyes and melted minds. This isn’t ideal but the pandemic has tossed the pediatrics rulebook into the nightly fire pit.

I mean no disrespect by burning such a bible. But when I asked the pediatrician about how to properly balance screens between virtual learning with time for fun, she said:

“Forget all that. Just let that go. Let them do whatever they want. It’s fine. When I heard about this pandemic, I went out and bought my kids a PlayStation.”

Unfortunately, in my mind, that’s not reality.

When the pandemic began in March 2020, my wife and I called for a mandatory family walk to institute some semblance of normalcy. When we finished, my wife and I noticed our children were calmer, quieter, you could even say saner if there is such a thing.

So when screens became an issue, we instituted a new rule: if they wanted the goods, I told my son he needed to walk 15,000 steps and my daughter 10,000. After that, have at it.

It’s been close to two years, and they still own it. My son uses a G-Shock watch and my daughter uses a Garmin model. Both can keep track of their daily step count and their active minutes — minutes dedicated to rigorous movement on a daily basis. My wife and I use apps to track their progress, so we know the counts.

Granted, that sounds like a lot of steps, but it’s not. Kids are supposed to be active. If you ask a pediatrician about it, they’ll recommend kids should get at least an hour of vigorous activity each day and wiggling your thumbs ain’t it.

If they want to game out later in the day or evening, we’re fine with that. The point is to keep it balanced. Except on rainy days, we’re definitely not balanced.

And we don’t care how they get their steps. Sure, they can walk, play basketball, or run in place for all we care. The key is that they move, not spend hours on end with screens.

Also, notice I didn’t say that after the exercise goal is met they could play video games all day. What they’ve earned is access. That’s different.

The difference is without steps, they cannot play at all. With the requirement met, however, they can play, but only for an hour or so, and then it’s back outside or do something else for a time. If they want to game out later in the day or evening, we’re fine with that. The point is to keep it balanced. Except on rainy days, we’re definitely not balanced.

We don’t get much pushback either. The truth is they know right from wrong even if I did catch my daughter with a Swiss Army knife in one hand and her pet fish in the other. It’s a process, right?

Look, they may not appreciate doing their exercise everyday. That’s fine. What counts for us is the children now have a reason, and a goal, to get more exercise and enjoy screen time that much more.

Join my newsletter here.

Parenting Tip

This Simple Challenge Got My Kids Off Screens And Outside

And they’re healthier and happier for it too.

These Simple Marketing Plans Take Social Pressure off Introverts Why You Should Quit Twitter