With the start of school, you want your kids to have plenty of time for homework. But what about everything else they need, like to play and sit down for meals? Two easy-to-use online tools help kids of any age to be more balanced, active, and durable–in school and out.
Get started with the Family Media Plan. Created by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Plan allows you to set up and print out guidelines not only around media use, but other necessities like physical activity, enough sleep, manners, and good digital judgment (such as my personal favorite, to charge cellphones out of the bedroom).
You can make a custom profile for each child, based on his or her age. For older kids, the plan also covers tech use and driving.
To create an ideal 24-hour schedule, sit down with your child and click through the Media Time Calculator. The Calculator’s timeline starts out with LOTS of media time, but as you add in other activities such as getting dressed and meals, the minutes quickly disappear that are available for things like playing video games. The Calculator is pre-populated with the AAP’s recommended time for exercise and sleep.
Watch how easy it is to use the Calculator in this 3-minute video:
For lots more practical advice for how your family can live well with media and everything else, read How To Be a Durable Human: Revive and Thrive in the Digital Age Through the Power of Self-Design.
About the author:
Jenifer Joy Madden is a health journalist, digital media professor, tech hygienist, and inveterate parent of three durable young adults. Her words have informed millions on news outlets including ABC News, The Washington Post, and in her books, How To Be a Durable Human: Revive and Thrive in the Digital Age Through the Power of Self-Design and The Durable Human Manifesto: Practical Wisdom for Living and Parenting in the Digital World.
Download The Durable Human Manifesto for free here.
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