Summer is in full swing, although we might not be able to tell it by the cool rainy days we’ve had. Our students have been out of school for several weeks and most are falling into a pattern for their days by now, too. Hopefully, those days aren’t taken up by too much screen time.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Today’s children are spending an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media, including televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices.”

Seven hours! That’s nearly as much time as many people work a day and certainly more hours than many of sleep. If you’re reading this and you have any children at home or grandchildren you keep in touch with, please do whatever you can to get your kids out of the house, away from the electronic screens, and moving. There’s so much more to a summer day, even a wet, rainy one, than spending it focused on a phone, computer, TV, or other device.

I’m fortunate because there were not so many options for our girls when they were growing up. So, the challenge is greater, but here are a few ideas that might help cut down on the time spent in front of screens:

• Getting outside more, the obvious choice. No screens allowed while in the backyard, at the park, at the beach, etc.

• If old enough, and a responsible person is along, bike rides or hikes.

• If the weather is lousy, a good old-fashioned board game.

• Craft projects, Legos, puzzles, hobbies, collections.

• Letter writing — a lost art, but if your kids write to someone, they likely will get a reply.

• Hard cover books — Do your kids have library cards? Go there as often as you can this summer.

As I look over the list, it looks like some advice I can heed myself. Many of us spend our work days in front of screens and we should vary our own off work time ourselves.

 

John Jarpe is the superintendent of Brandywine Community Schools. He can be reached at (269) 684- 7150.