by Miss Alicia

Should I let my young child have "screen time" and if so, how much screen time a day should I allow? Is it alright to let my child watch the television or play computer games, as long as it is educational?

These are all questions you as a parent have asked yourself and they are good ones. I have often asked myself these same questions. As an early childhood educator, I have learned that the majority of brain development occurs in the first five years of a child’s life and that the best way to make connections in the brain are through play activities, such as looking at books, playing games, building with blocks, puzzles, pretend and imaginary play, active play, art activities and music. Although these activities take more effort and energy on the parent’s side, they are completely worth the effort.

I have also learned that television watching, playing games on the computer, phone, or tablet are all considered "screen time" activities and are not the best ways to create connections in the brain. I read a great article about this same topic that addressed many of the assumptions I had about screen time. This article was on the website for the National Association for the Education of Young Children and all of the information from the article has been researched.