How parental control of screen time is a projection of their unconscious fears

How parental control of Screentime is a projection of their unconscious fears


Screentime is at the centre ofcontroversial debate. Especially amongst parents. There is so much social pressure on parents to be always doing ‘the right thing’. How much screen time is good? How much is it bad. What are they watching? Who are they messaging? What are they saying? Who is messaging them? Does any of this sound familiar? Does any of this sound Orwellian? Parental control and paranoia are what happens when love gets distorted through fear.

Fear, it can be your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on your relationship with it. Fear can get you out of harm’s way, fear can also drive you to reactive in a controlling way.

Children’s approach to screentime can come in a variety of forms. Children use screen time to de-stress, switch off, relax, jut like adults. Children need to vent their frustrations and anger through video games or shouting at the movie. The question is not so much how much screentime children have but what is the screentime being used for.

Screentime can be educational. As a home-schooling parent, I often use the screen for education purposes, maths, English books, reading, phonics, sign-along, workouts.

Screentime can also indicate your child has emotional needs that are not being met. If they are seeking stimulation externally this can indicate your child is looking for a connection, self-love and self-worth. 

Often, screentime represents a need for stimulation. When I take my children to the zoo or playground, they are not interested in screentime. When they have other children of a similar age to play with, they do not look for screentime.

The good news for parent is that you don’t need to be so hard on yourselves about how much time your children spend watching screens. Screens are how this generation interacts with the world. That’s not to say they don’t need balance with other activities and nature. This generation is one of the first in all history to engage and connect with each other 
through screens.

With the rise on online learning, multiplayer online games, interactive TV, live shows. Children now consume through YouTube and Netflix. Saturday cartoons are not daily. They live in a digital world. The best thing parents can do is equip children with the digital skill to 
survive.

If you feel you or your child needs any support, I now run a digital skills course, workshop and 1on1 sessions for children (or parents). This is aimed at developing the necessary skills to help navigate the online world successfully. If you feel this is an area you would like support, please contact me for the next available date at info@tonymegwaicoaching.net

If this article resonates, please like, comment or share.

#parents #parentingtips #children #kids #mentalhealth #emotionalawareness #starseeds #screentime #faceyourfears

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