STAYING ACTIVE IN THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS
Moving your body improves physical, mental and emotional health. Physical activity improves your memory and brain function, protects against many chronic diseases, aids in weight management, helps lower blood pressure and improve heart health, improves quality of sleep as well as reducing feelings of anxiety and depression. Exercise also boosts mood and helps kids focus and retain information better. Staying active is essential for kids, especially as the winter months start rolling around and they tend to spend more time inside than out.
Exercise At Home
Outdoor activities:
Indoor activities:
Indoor hopscotch with painter’s tape
Indoor obstacle course
Hide and seek
Free dance and exercise classes online
Chores can count as a physical activity too!
SCREEN TIME AND CHILDREN
(From American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
Children and adolescents spend a lot of time watching screens, including smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, TVs, and computers. On average, children ages 8-12 in the United States spend 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours. While screens can entertain, teach, and keep children occupied, too much use may lead to problems.
Parents may not always know what their children are viewing, or how much time they are spending with screens. Children may be exposed to:
Violence and risk-taking behaviors
Videos of stunts or challenges that may inspire unsafe behavior
Sexual content
Negative stereotypes
Substance use
Cyberbullies and predators
Advertising aimed at your child
Misleading or inaccurate information
Too much screen time may lead to:
Sleep problems
Lower grades in school
Reading fewer books
Less time with family and friends
Not enough outdoor or physical activity
Weight problems
Mood problems
Poor self-image and body image issues
Fear of missing out
Less time learning other ways to relax and have fun
Managing a child’s screen time is challenging for families. Your child is never too young for a screen-time plan. Consider the following as a guideline:
Until 18 months of age limit screen use to video chatting along with an adult (for example, with a parent who is out of town).
Between 18 and 24 months screen time should be limited to watching educational programming with a caregiver.
For children 2-5, limit non-educational screen time to about 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days.
For ages 6 and older, encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.
Turn off all screens during family meals and outings.
Learn about and use parental controls.
Avoid using screens as pacifiers, babysitters, or to stop tantrums.
Turn off screens and remove them from bedrooms 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
Screens are here to stay and can offer many positives. It’s never too early to develop a screen-time plan with your family. Let your children share their ideas and concerns. Some additional tips to keep in mind are:
Familiarize yourself with programming to make sure it is age-appropriate.
Talk to your child about what they are seeing. Point out good behavior, such as cooperation, friendship, and concern for others. Make connections to meaningful events or places of interest.
Be aware of advertising and how it influences choices.
Encourage your child to learn other activities such as sports, music, art, and hobbies that do not involve screens.
Set a good example with your own safe and healthy screen habits.
Teach children about online privacy and safety.
Actively decide when your child is ready for a personal device.
Encourage using screens in ways that build creativity and connection with family and friends.
Consider your child or teen’s maturity and habits. The right plan for one family may not be a good fit for another.
Positive and healthy screen use is possible with proper guidance and consistency.
NOVEMBER 2024 NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES - here are a few health topics that are highlighted in the month of November- click the links for more information about each
