What did you do? Sing? Nap? Fight? Invent silly games? Count raindrops on the window? ThatвЂ™s what weвЂ™d like our kids to do вЂ“ minus the fighting of course.вЂќ Think back to car rides when you were a kid. вЂњWe donвЂ™t let our kids watch screens in the car because we just feel they donвЂ™t need to.

вЂњAnything that keeps my attention on the road is good, even if that means letting the kids play a backseat round of Angry Birds. But we often freak out about the wrong technologies.вЂќ Statistically speaking, driving with the kids in the car is the most dangerous thing we do daily with our children, however David believes that screen time in the car can minimise the danger and you might agree. But where does it stop?ДЄccording to David Leach, Dad of two, вЂњWe all worry about how technology might harm our kids. It goes without saying that this experiment highlights the importance of policing screen time for kids. According to 11-year-old Jackson вЂњWhen you finally get off of it you suddenly think, вЂIвЂ™m thirsty, IвЂ™m hungry, I have to go to the bathroom,вЂ™ and things like that, but you donвЂ™t feel those while youвЂ™re on screens.вЂќ The next day with little sleep the kids found it hard to go about basic activities. At around 10pm the parents had already gone to bed and at 2:30am once 6-year-old CooperвЂ™s iPadвЂ™s battery had died he came in asking for food.

With no set limits, the kids dove into games and shows, even watching 2 screens at once. So when does it stop? The Harding family of Menlo Park, California wanted to find out whether their kids would start self-regulating screen time if there were no limits set.ДЇor the record, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends kids between 2 and 5 years old only have one hour or less of screen time per day, while for kids older than 6 it shouldnвЂ™t takeover sleep time or physical activity. While parents are increasingly getting concerned with their kids screen time theyвЂ™re also increasingly getting sick of policing their kids screen time. While parents should be limiting screen time in the home, should they be limiting it elsewhere as well and considering the time their children spend online, watching shows and playing games in the car, at school and at friendsвЂ™ houses?

While smart cars are hitting the used car market kids have access to in-car entertainment like never before. Kids are getting screen time in the school and even in the car as more and more models are made with in-headrest DVD players. While the debate rages on, one thing is for sure, children have more and more access to screens than ever before and not only in the home. While it goes without saying that screen time is a hugely controversial topic among parents right now, it still seems that no one is entirely sure just how much screen time children should and should not be getting.

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