I’m Letting Go of Screentime Guidelines… Again

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I’m Letting Go of Screentime Guidelines… Again

by Clara Jensen

Updated: Jan. 19, 2022

Originally Published: Jan. 19, 2022

With the COVID surge and harsh winter weather, my family’s screentime restrictions have become a thing of the past. Last week, my son’s basketball season was halted due to rising case numbers in our area. Soon after, my daughter’s tennis lessons were canceled as instructors and students fell ill or went into quarantine. The meticulously planned schedule I created back in September—designed to keep us physically active, mentally engaged, and away from screens—has been thrown out the window. Now, we find ourselves stuck at home.

Then came the snow and ice. Even if we had places to go, we wouldn’t have been able to get there.

With all the cancellations, quarantines, and miserable weather, our time at home has expanded significantly. During this period, my kids have spent a considerable amount of time on screens—switching between Roblox, Netflix, and YouTube. And I’ve allowed it.

Instead of initiating a new craft project or baking another cake, I’ve let them jump from one screen to another, breaking only for family meals or to lend a hand with chores. I’ve metaphorically crumpled our screentime rules and tossed them aside for the time being, knowing that with COVID still rampant, activities on hold, and awful weather outside, I simply can’t juggle everything. After nearly two years of navigating this pandemic alone, I’m feeling burnt out. My energy and patience are depleted.

Ignoring screentime rules has been a relief from that exhaustion. For a brief moment, the house is peaceful, the kids aren’t arguing, and I can focus on my endless to-do list. We can all forget about the chaos outside.

But then, of course, comes the mom guilt—the nagging voice reminding me of all the better choices I could be making and warning me about the negative effects of excessive screen time on my children’s developing brains.

Yet, I choose to grant myself some grace. Yes, I could have unearthed another craft project or pulled out a board game, but these past two years have been tough on us all, especially for solo parents who have carried the weight of emotional, mental, physical, and financial responsibilities alone. Right now, during another COVID spike and in the depths of winter, it’s okay to enter survival mode. If that survival mode relies on a WiFi connection, so be it. My kids won’t suffer irreparable harm from watching Encanto for the seventeenth time.

If I can just lean on screens for a bit longer (as every parent says daily), my kids will get a mom who is patient enough to cuddle up and enjoy one of those Encanto viewings with them after I’ve tackled a few tasks. They’ll have a mom who isn’t too frazzled to go out and play in the snow on the weekend. A mom who is doing her best matters more than screentime rules in the long run. At least, that’s my hope.

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Summary:

In the face of ongoing COVID challenges and harsh winter weather, I’ve decided to relax my screentime rules for my children. With sports and activities canceled, I’ve found solace in allowing them to enjoy screens, which helps ease my own burnout as a solo parent. While guilt creeps in about their excessive screentime, I remind myself that it’s okay to prioritize survival during these difficult times. Ultimately, my goal is to maintain my patience and be present for my kids, even if that means embracing a bit more screen time.

Keyphrase: Screentime rules during the pandemic

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