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In our previous blogs, we explored how everyday experiences create meaningful opportunities for children to learn and grow. Family outings, community activities, play, and daily routines all offer natural opportunities to practice communication, flexibility, independence, and many other important life skills. At the same time, one challenge many families face throughout the year is finding a healthy balance between screen time and the world beyond the screen.
That naturally leads to two common questions: How much screen time is too much? And how can we help children enjoy technology without letting it become the center of everyday life?
Technology is not the enemy. Tablets, televisions, video games, and smartphones can be fun, educational, and helpful during long car rides, waiting appointments, rainy days, or simply during busy family moments. The goal is not to eliminate screens, but to use them intentionally and create a healthy balance.
Current pediatric recommendations suggest limiting recreational screen time to about one hour per day for children ages 2 to 5 and no more than two hours per day for school-aged children, not including educational or school-related use. Just as important as the amount of time is the quality of that time: what children are watching, when they are using screens, and what experiences screens may be replacing.
Whenever possible, choose age-appropriate, interactive, educational content that encourages creativity, curiosity, or problem-solving. Watching together, asking questions, and extending what children see on the screen into real-life activities such as pretend play, drawing, reading a related book, or having a conversation can transform passive screen time into a shared learning experience.
Fortunately, everyday life offers countless moments that no screen can replace. Helping prepare a meal, building a fort, riding a bike, visiting the park, playing outside, doing a craft, gardening, playing board games, or simply talking during a family walk all encourage creativity, communication, movement, problem-solving, and connection.
A few simple strategies can make a big difference: create predictable screen routines, use timers or visual schedules, give advance warnings before screen time ends, offer an appealing activity to transition to, keep screen-free options readily available, model healthy screen habits yourself, and avoid using screens as the only way to calm difficult emotions.
For children receiving ABA therapy, these everyday moments become valuable opportunities to practice skills such as waiting, accepting "all done," asking for help, tolerating changes, making choices, and transitioning between activities. If screen time becomes challenging, your ABA team can help develop practical strategies that fit your child's strengths, needs, and your family's routines.
Most importantly, remember that balance does not mean perfection. Some days will include more screen time than others, and that is okay. The goal is not to create a screen-free childhood, but to create a childhood with plenty of room for play, connection, curiosity, movement, and real-life experiences because those are the moments where children grow, learn, and create memories that last far beyond the screen.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2024). Media and children. https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2024). HealthyChildren.org: Media use guidelines.https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx
World Health Organization. (2019). Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241550536
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