Seriously parents, why all the drama around screen time?

This morning, my daughter had turned away from watching morning cartoons to cut someone’s hair. She’s four. No, she hadn’t attacked her little brother with the clippers, she was fully immersed in the very simple and funny hair-cutting and styling game on her Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 Kids.

From the moment my two kids could hold things in their hands and look, they’ve graduated towards screens. My phone, the TV, the home computer, our tablet. We love to use them, they love to use them.

But why all the drama around screen time? Screens are part of all of our lives now, and with a balanced approach, and the right devices in our house and in our kids’ hands, it’s something we can strike off the list of what to worry about. I wish I could say the same for the kids eating their vegetables.

My kids’ enthusiasm for screens isn’t going anywhere, and my need to entertain my kids isn’t going anywhere. And what’s more, as my kids grow, devices are going to become a significant part of their experiences. So, I’ve decided to stop panicking and start looking at the best way to get a positive outcome from a realistic part of our lives.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Samsung Galaxy. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.

I’ve learned the following four things:

1. A life without screens is not going to happen. And I wouldn’t want it to.

If I can (and do) approve of what my child is looking at on whatever screen they’re looking at, then I have no problem with my children having screen time along with all other manner of entertainment they indulge in on any given day. We read books, we watch a bit of TV, we draw and paint and run around outside, and we play on screen devices some of the time too. It’s fine. Breathe.

As early childhood researcher and lecturer Dr Kate Highfield of Macquarie University says, “The trick here is to consider balance – media use and time on tablet devices isn’t bad, but it should be just one part of a child’s day and should not mean that your child isn’t reading great books, communicating with friends, building, playing outside and the like!”

2. Using devices doesn’t stop your child from enjoying playing outside.

I do not know a single small child who is locked in their house to play with a tablet all day. Kids want to run and jump and climb and play, and given the opportunity, will do just that all day long. But unless you happen to live in a safely enclosed adventure playground, it’s just not realistic that your child is never going to need entertaining indoors. My four-year-old needs quiet time after a crazy morning of swimming, play dates and digging holes at the beach. She needs time where she’s calm and engaged, and sometimes that time is me sitting with her playing a counting game on her tablet, or her drawing a picture or taking photos with it.

Her tablet has a handy inbuilt timer mode that helps me to limit her screen time, so as long as I’m happy with what she’s watching or doing, I have no problem with that quiet time involving a screen, which leads me to…

3. It’s not about the screens, it’s what’s on the screens.

My kids used to love watching their favourite kids and cartoon songs on YouTube. But if I turn away from the screen to attend to real life for a few seconds, a couple of wrong clicks can send them in a worrying direction. Having a tablet that you can preload with kids-only entertainment can help you to manage this. Some tablets have a kids’ mode and an adult mode and you can switch between the two. When my kids are in kids’ mode, I have confidence that they’re playing smart games*. And I can play alongside. As Kate Highfield says, “We need to consider the quality of the media and apps young children are engaging with. To this end, I suggest parents are present in the ‘digital playground’, at times co-playing with their child so they understand what they’re doing and are able to be part of their digital world. While I’m not suggesting parents should co-play every game, they should be aware of what their child has on their device so they can check that their child is playing with apps that they feel are appropriate to their family.” And when they’re off to bed, I can switch it to adult mode. Bonus.

4. Along with drawing, craft and other things little kids have been doing for ever, devices can help my child get creative.

Along with the amazing hair-dos she’s currently creating, my girl is as proud of art and photos she’s created on a tablet as she is of the ones that are curling at the edges on every wall in our home. Kate says about drawing apps: “It’s a really simple drawing tool for young children. These apps allow children to create their own content and take pictures of it to see later. It is a nice way of painting without the mess.” No mess? I’m in.

Basically, in my opinion, kids need a wide variety of education and entertainment to be well-rounded, healthy people. There is no one productive activity that is going to bring their lives crashing down around their ears. They need a bit of everything – outdoor play, quiet time, educational problem-solving, basic entertainment, directed education.

And so I’m throwing out the guilt and embracing knowledge.

* If Wi-Fi or internet access is enabled, adult supervision is recommended in Kids’ Mode.

Here are some more ideas for activities that your kids can balance their screen time with:

Featuring a colourful rubber bumper, and an intuitive menu with a simple swipe and touch interface,GALAXY Tab 3 Kids is child’s play to use and enjoy. Your kids will love the playful characters, brightly coloured app cards, and fun camera overlay, whilst parental settings assist you to stay in control of app usage and purchases.*^#

By switching between Kids’ mode and the standard GALAXY Tab 3 interface, GALAXY Tab 3 Kids suddenly becomes great fun for adults! Use it like an ordinary tablet to write emails, organise your calendar or surf the web.^

^# Internet connection required. In-app purchases may be required for full functionality. Data subscription and other charges may apply.

^ Internet connection required. Data, subscription and other charges may apply.

* If Wi-Fi or internet access is enabled, adult supervision is recommended in Kids Mode.

~Carry case with stylus pen sold separately.