As a Mother, it is always hard to decide whether to let you child be on the screens or not. I came from the culture where TV plays all day long in the background. There is rarely any supervision what the kids are watching or using the computer for the most part. After I got married to my husband, I learned that my husband grew up very differently in Canada and it’s not normal to let your child watch TV or play with your phone.
Especially, after I joined Waldorf School I learned that the other parents and teachers really frown upon letting your child be exposed to the media. So for the most part I don’t let my son be on the phone, or tablets or TV but then couple years ago I found myself pregnant with next to no help. Sometimes to get a break I would put on a show or two for a little while for him. I ended up losing the baby which was a whole another trauma for our family that we dealt with as a family. When I turned on the screen for him so I could get a break or have a cry by myself sometimes, I used to feel really guilty about not being the best mom to my son.
I personally think, there has to be a balance between having a perfect environment for a child to grow and not feeling guilty about having some me time whether the primary care provider is the mom, dad or grandparents. With the pandemic there were about 3 Billion people under lock down, with nearly 90 percent of students having to be off from school, according to UNICEF. With remote learning as the only way for children to attend school, screens became the lifeline. Screens helped connect teachers with their students, kids with their friends, families while having to isolate. How could parents limit screen time in these unparalleled times?
After lot of trials and errors, I learned to be ok with the screen times sometimes. I have set boundaries around it. My son is only 5 right now, and I only allow him half hour cartoon time on Sunday mornings, he looks forward to it every week. He gets to video call him grandparents on both sides once a week to stay in touch with them.
We go for walks, take our dogs out to the parks and throw balls for him for while. We try our best to spend as much quality time as possible. Coincidentally, I found out I am expecting again and are dealing with the situation as best as possible. I son is so excited about becoming a big brother and can’t wait for his little sibling to be born later this year. All of this is possible because, I am a Stay at home mom and am around all the time. For the parents who have to work and also have their children home all the time, there is no judgment. Do what you need to do, so you can be the best parents to your children. It is hard enough being a parent, sometimes society makes it harder. I just suggest setting boundaries for the children and for yourself as well.
Having healthy boundaries and dealing with the situation as best you can is the best way to deal with these unprecedented times.
I hope, you are coping with the pandemic and parenting as best you can. I look forward to hearing your opinions on this.
