Many children who are glued to their screens are usually given the "2-minute" countdown to allow them the time to veer away from the TV, iPhone or tablets. While this may be the easiest method to pry them away from the screens, it may not be the best one out there. No wonder why kids have meltdowns when they hear their parents mentioning, "2-minutes."
More Harm Than Good
Global CA reported that a study led by Alexis Hiniker, found that employing the "2-minute" parenting tactic to pull the plug on kids' screen time does more harm than good. According to the researchers, this "2-minute" countdown results to nothing but tantrums, especially in younger kids aged 1 to 5 years old.
The researchers based their findings on the records and diary entries of 27 families, who monitored the screen times of their children. Those who participated were mostly parents of toddlers and preschoolers. They determined the type of device and the number of hours these children spend on their screens.
Prepare For Negative REsponsesn
According to the results of the study, 60 percent of the children had a somewhat neutral reaction. However, there were 20 percent who exhibited a negative response when their screen time ended.
Parents also shared the parenting tactics they do to pry their kids away from their screens. Some set routines, which help kids to be at ease with a "natural stopping point." Sometimes, they also orient their kids well on what happens when the battery runs out or when the show is finally over.
Children Vs. Adults
One Canadian psychologist said that the negative response, or the tantrum that kids resort to whenever they are given the "2-minute" countdown, can be likened to a boss giving his employee a "2-minute" extension to shutdown the computer and get everything fixed.
To prevent these meltdowns, World Bry suggests that certain features like "autoplay" should be disabled as this only makes it more difficult for kids to let go of their screens. Another effective thing to do is to set a schedule of screen time. This may be faced with some opposition to begin with, but as the days go by, kids will simply get used to it.
So as much as possible, it is best to avoid the "2-minute" countdown. This will only lead to uncontrollable tantrums that you still have to deal with.
