LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For parents, it can be tricky to find ways to keep kids entertained all day long, especially in the summer. While it can be easy to turn on a movie or give them a tablet full of games, the World Health Organization urges parents to mindful of how much time kids under five spend in front of a screen.
The United Nations agency set new guidelines on screen time suggesting kids between two and four years old spend no more than an hour a day in front of a screen. WHO says kids under one shouldn't be in front of a screen at all.
Instead, the agency suggests infants should be physically active through floor-based play for at least 30 minutes a day. WHO also recommends children over one year old should get three hours of physical activity a day. Kids three to four years old should spend at least an hour of that time participating in what is defined as moderate to vigorous activity.
Kentucky Youth Advocates executive director Terry Brooks said that gives parents something to think about, but it is easier said than done.
“That report, I thought, was fascinating. Anyone who thinks that it’s recommendations are easily implementable apparently has not had young kids lately,” Brooks said.
We caught up with some parents to see if they set any screen time limits in their households. Mother Sara Inman has a three-year-old and six-year-old.
"Occasionally they’ll get up early and watch some Netflix or something like that, but that’s about it," Inman said.
Mother Heather Howard has a three-year-old and a four-year-old. She said she makes an effort to keep the time spent in front of a screen to a minimum.
"We don’t do tablets. We keep those out of hand just because it’s so easy to fall to," Howard said.
No two families are alike, so Brooks recommends reading the study, assessing what you currently do in your household, and see what kind of adjustments you can make that work for your household.