Children nowadays are addicted to screens, whether watching TV or playing on mobile devices. It is a general problem in many homes because many parents prefer to use the screen as a distraction for their children, so that they can have time for other important things at home.
I don't blame the children because that's what they were raised with and slowly it became an obsession. While some parents don't see it as a problem, some are trying to correct their mistakes. I blame the parents, but not too much, because raising children is not easy. The infant stage can be very troubling.
My aunt always tells me about how stressful her twins were at 8 months old, but I thought she was exaggerating until I visited her in Ilorin that year. Despite being there to help, I got tired of everything and wanted to leave before my vacation there was over. Amid the kids' trouble, a mother needs time to do the laundry, tidy the home, and even rest, so when the baby is distracted by the screen, they can get enough time to do all these at a go.
While the screen distraction helps now, it causes a long-lasting negative influence on the children, which might be very difficult to control later.
It becomes worse when parents buy smartphones for their child at a very early stage, when they should still be reading storybooks. I don't know how our parents did it because when I was a baby, there were no screen distractions and our mothers were able to do other necessary things at home. If it was possible then, I know it's possible now, but let me just say that we are not putting in efforts, we all prefer the easy solution, not considering the consequences.
So far, I have promised myself not to expose them too early to the screen. They can see when I am watching, but I won't use it as a distraction so that they don't get used to it. Back then, we used to have many toys for babies to play with, and it kept them busy. I even saw some of the toys I had as a kid, but parents don't see toys as an option again.
Toys were made for children to play with; it's a perfect distraction. They will eventually outgrow them, so you can see them addicted to them like smart devices.
After they outgrow toys, I will introduce picture storybooks to them. From my experience as a teacher, those books are engaging and will keep them busy.
Lastly, they won't own a phone until they are grown up. It doesn't mean that I won't allow them to use phones or watch TV, but it would be under my watch. There will be a fixed screen time and we will engage in book reading or other fun activities.
These are tips I would apply when my time comes and it would make me happy if it works.
