My girls are just beginning to experience the downtime of summer. My early-risers are finally trying to sleep in longer. They are no longer allowed to start their days with their iPads because it immediately affects their attitudes. But that means that the dining room table is covered in crafts and unfinished projects to keep little hands busy.

This is the season of yelling “CLOSE THE DOOR!” a million times a day, and for the next few months, I will be a short-order cook rotating between their desires for grilled cheese, quesadillas, mini-pizzas, chicken nuggets and everything in between. It’s so fun, but it takes us a good chunk of time to really get into our summer rhythm.

Summertime is long awaited for many kids and teens, but unfortunately, summer can bring about depression in children and teens similar to the cold days of winter. Often in the emergency room, we start to see kids begin to struggle during the last weeks of school and then again in the last weeks of summer. The number of kids struggling with their mental health rises during these times. We know that transitions can be difficult and surrounded by anxiety for kids and parents alike. 

As much as kids love the idea of not being tied down to schoolwork and getting a break from the grind, the routine and expectations of school coupled with time with friends and activities, can make summer feel chaotic, dull, and ultimately lonely. Many parents still have to work full-time jobs while their kids are out of school, which can mean a lot of unsupervised time for kids.

It is easy for kids to get their schedules completely flipped – sleeping all day and staying up all night. They begin to spend hours in front of their screens including video games, social media and hours of endless scrolling. Once the summer is in full swing, it can be easy to miss the signs of summer blues that your kids may be experiencing. There are a few things that you can do as a parent or caregiver to help with these blues and maybe prevent some of them.

Establish a Summertime Routine

Kids are immediately out of routine. They finally get to sleep in and have no real time constraints on their day. They have zero rhythm to their days and little expectation.

Years ago, I realized this was not going to work for my kids for the whole summer. To keep some peace in my home and give my girls the best chance for transitions back into school, we needed to have at the very least a loose schedule for the summer. For us that has looked like some quiet activities in the morning. This could be reading, crafts, or play time. iPads do not turn on before 10 am.

I ask them to get dressed, brush their teeth and get ready for the day. We make beds in our home, so we keep that up even in the summertime. They are in charge of their own breakfasts, but sometime before noon. When their iPads turn on at 10 am, they have a limited amount of time on them, so they have to manage when they use their time. We have lunch a little after noon, then they can do some outside activities. Sometimes we go on a bike ride, swim or they play with neighbors or friends.

When they were younger, we had another quiet time in the afternoon that was no screen time.  Around 4 pm, we do a clean-up time to get ready for dinner and then plan to spend time together as a family after dinner. Not every day looks exactly like this, but it has been so, so helpful to have a rhythm. This lets them know what to expect.

Many times, when we plan to go somewhere, I try to do that in the morning before lunch so that we can have some rhythm to our afternoon. For my school-aged girls and pre-teen, this rhythm is so important for their brains and emotions throughout the day.

Limit screen time

Limiting screen time is so important. It is so easy for all of us to fall into hours of screen time and not get anything done all day. I am guilty of this as an adult, and we know the damage it is having on our kids and teens. Hours of scrolling are not beneficial to their developing brains.

Our girls’ iPads have a filter on them that I control from my phone. This has been an important investment for us. I can control the time their iPads come “on” and the time that they are able to be on them in a day. I also can see EVERYTHING that they search or look at in a day while also blocking and filtering the content that they can see. I can do this from work, which is super helpful. There are many options for this, but I highly encourage this.

The level at which our kids are being exposed to developmentally inappropriate content along with engaging in dangerous material is astounding. The effects of screen time on children’s brains and development are proven to be detrimental in many ways.

We are seeing the mental health of our kids and teens suffer the more they scroll. My kids have screen time limited to 2 hours during the week and 3 hours on the weekend during the summer months. They are only able to have about 30 minutes on weekdays during the school year to talk with friends and then 3 hours on the weekend. My girls are school-age and preteen. I know that some of these limits will need to change as my girls get older. I also find, like I mentioned before, that our days go much better when my kids do not start their day or end their days with screen time. We try to keep screen time sandwiched in between other activities.

Set Aside Time to Connect with Your Kids

This is something that can be challenging especially if you are working full-time. This quality time is important in the summer as well as the school year. I find, though, that summertime is a great opportunity to reconnect in different ways with your kids without the intensity of school schedules and activities getting in the way.

I try to do bike rides, plan a special outing, read a book with my girls, play a game, etc. Any time that I can get with them one-on-one time with them is even better. Our kids are looking to connect and belong. We want to be the first place that they belong. Prioritizing this time will be one of the best things you do all summer for your kids!

Say YES Where You Can

Lastly, this is the challenge for the parents. We can help our kids by saying yes where we can. Say yes to the walk, to the game, or to friends coming over. If you are the stay-at-home mom, say yes to being the house where the kids can hang out for the afternoon. Say yes to water balloon fights and water play. Say yes to the mess when you can. Say “yes” and “sure” when your margin allows. Our yes is often the bright part of the day for our kids and the things they remember the most.

Summers can be a time when memories are made and the best moments are ingrained in our kids’ minds. So, while the summertime blues can pop up, with a little bit of intentionality and a few yeses, we can combat them and help our kids have some bright summer days!

Believe it or not, summer’s almost over and the new school year will begin before you know it.

Are you ready? Or are you like a certain dad I know who usually waits until the last minute? Last year, this dad forgot:

• To book his child's physicals so he had to scramble to get checkups before flu shots.
• His daughter has some pretty significant fears about going into school the first day and he didn’t take the time to properly prepare her.
• To get his son's asthma inhalers refilled and the forms on file so that he could have it at school (until April when he was having a flare).

Don't be like me…here are 10 steps you can take to make sure you and your child are ready for back to school.

1. Vaccines - Make sure that your child is up to date on vaccines. As your kids get older, your school might prevent them from enrolling in classes or other benefits, which might make it difficult to get their classes scheduled, etc. Vaccines are routinely scheduled at 4 years old (measles, whooping cough and polio among others), 11-12 (whooping cough and meningitis) and 16 (meningitis). At Cook Children's, we also recommend the HPV vaccination starting at age 11.
2. Physicals - If your child plans to participate in a sport or marching band they may need a sports physical form to be completed by your child's doctor. This requirement is required by the UIL before junior high, ninth and eleventh grade but many schools ask for it each year. The marching band requirement is new so not as many parents are aware. I expect we'll be doing a lot of those in the first few weeks of August. Students who are attending private schools or participating in sports that aren’t governed by the UIL may have other physical exam requirements. Many of these kids are already out in the heat working hard preparing for their upcoming season, so I recommend getting these as soon as possible.
3. Forms - Don't be that parent who realized in April that their child doesn't have his inhaler or the form required to take it at school (ahem ... me). Here are some common medications your child might take which might need to be administered at school: inhalers/nebulizers for asthma, insulin, ADHD medications and pain reducers.
4. Sleep - Transitioning back to a sleep schedule that works for school might be the most difficult transition in prepping for back to school. The older your child, the more likely they are to be going to bed too late and sleeping in. Start making subtle changes in their bedtime over the next few weeks. Rolling bedtime back 30 minutes at a time can make the transition to early morning easier.
5. Screen time - Just like sleep, screen time can get away from us a bit over the summer (Fortnite! I’m looking at you). An immediate drop off in daily screen time can be a struggle so starting to make changes now can help your screen junkies detox a bit before they go back to school.
6. Your child’s back to school fear or anxiety - Many children deal with some fears about going back to school. These fears can be mild or they can be more severe, almost debilitating. Helping your child prepare for the transition by talking them through their day, setting up a play date with classmates ahead of time or taking a tour of the school can orient (or re-orient them) back to school in a way that can be helpful. If the anxiety is more severe, consider talking with your pediatrician or a play therapist in advance to help them and you prepare.
7. Your back to school fear or anxiety - Getting yourself prepared for back to school is almost as important as preparing your child. Some parents will kick their kids out the door and drive off to their gym class without a second thought. For others, the transition can be just as hard on the parent as the child. Begin now to prepare yourself for what it will feel like those first few days at drop off. Showing emotions with your child is certainly OK, but a prolonged, tearful drop off can make things harder on your child.
8. Supplies - Get your child ready for back to school by buying their school supplies in advance whenever possible. Whether you buy the prepared packet from school or enjoy the process of shopping for individual supplies doesn't matter, just make sure your child is well prepared with what they need to start the year off right. Buy some extra tissues or hand sanitizer to help the teacher out.
9. Set goals - My favorite part of a new school year is the fresh start that kids can get. Whether last year was amazing or a huge struggle, it's a great opportunity to help our kids realize that they can always work on something to make themselves better. Using last year as a guide, help them set some goals that focus both on their strengths and challenges.
10. Attend meet the teacher night - Sometimes these events occur before school and sometimes they occur a little after school starts. Use meet the teacher night strategically to help frame your child in a positive light. This can go a long way to helping your child accomplish their goals for the year.

Whether you're counting the hours until you can send the kids back or dreading the return of early mornings, hopefully, these tips will help you think through some of the things you need to consider. I know it did for me.

What topics did we miss?

Related To This Topic:

• Vaccines and Immunizations
• Immunization Schedule
• Common Questions About Immunizations
• Knowing Your Child's Medical History
• Sleep Center
• Your Kids Are Ready For School. But Are You?
• 5 Questions Every Parent Should Ask Their Child's Teacher
• 6 Ways You Can Help The Teacher Understand Your Child

If you think about our kiddos, that’s all they know these days. Just walk around at the mall. You see a kid and attached to them is a tablet.

Are tablets the worst thing in the world? I don’t think so, but they may be affecting the types of interactions we have with our children according to a study completed in Toronto, Ontario. They found that for “every 30-minute increase in daily screen time was linked to a 49 percent increased risk of what the researchers call expressive speech delay.”

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “What about those educational Apps that go over colors, ABCs or numbers?” I see your point, but that’s only part of a child’s language. Let’s think about conversational turn-taking or even play skills. I don’t think I’ve come across applications that can teach children those important skills.

I’ll be honest, my son is 2 years of age and there are times where we put him in front of a screen. It keeps him occupied while we complete chores or help his infant sister. It happens and I don’t want you thinking that you are the worst parent in the world.

Just like most things though, everything needs to be in moderation.

My son was at a birthday party recently. All the children were doing an activity and the instructor told the kids to yell for help. All the kiddos obviously said, “HELP!” Except my son, who is really into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He yelled out, “Ohhh Tooodles.” If that wasn’t a sign that he is watching too much TV I don’t know what is!! It’s kinda embarrassing considering I am a speech therapist.

Just like most parents, you learn as you go. There isn’t a manual for these sorts of things. If parenting wasn’t hard enough, society around us is also continuously changing. My wife and I have quickly learned that although my son asks for Mickey Mouse dance (that’s what he calls it because of the hotdog dance) it doesn’t mean we have to turn it on for him. There are so many games that we can play. Surprisingly, I was doing chores around the house and he wanted to help as well.

Here are some tips to get your kids away from the screen and be interactive with you:

1.Reenact an episode of your child's favorite show (in our case it's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). You can do similar games or even make up your own.

2.Pause the TV show he or she is watching and talk about what you just saw or what you think will happen next.

3.TURN THE TV OFF. Our most fun experiences have been when the power has gone out. That forces us to interact and just play.

Interaction involves an action. Just NOT sitting on the couch in front of a screen.

In today’s technologically driven world, it’s difficult to know how to accept the advancement of technology while also determining where to set boundaries as a parent. As a mom, I too struggle with this concept.

However, a study through Texas Tech University shows that there are actually positive effects on learning when a parent watches TV alongside their child. According to the study, when a parent is present while watching TV with their child physiological changes take place in the child’s body. The child exhibits more effort to learn from the program they are watching. This is important because parents often underestimate the power and influence they have over their child’s life. This study shows that by just being present with your child, you are having a positive impact on their ability to learn from the program being watched. It is important to note that this can happen when both positive and negative content is being displayed on the TV, which is why monitoring the type of shows your child is watching is even more important.

According to the authors, “Just being there is making a difference.” But, why is being present important?

Well, it provides your child the ability to ask questions and engage in a dialogue about the content being viewed. All too often the TV has become just another babysitting tool. However, I would encourage parents to see it as an opportunity. An opportunity to spend quality time with your child, to learn something educational, to be present, to understand your child’s interests and why they like the things they do.

It’s important to note, that “being present” may look differently depending on the age of your child. For a younger child, it may mean pointing out learning opportunities while watching shows (e.g. while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, discussing what is happening/counting together, etc.). However, with an older child/adolescent, this may mean having conversations regarding the show being watched and addressing how it may/may not pertain to the child’s life. For example, if watching any type of news channel talking with your child about the events being depicted and how it may/may not impact their daily life. Topics may include things such as bullying, violence, political processes, funny videos that have gone viral, etc. Being present allows for the opportunity to open the lines of communication between you and your child. It allows for you, as the parent, to show interest and be able to influence their ability to learn from what they are seeing.

The authors bring up a great point when they state, “I think our focus needs to be on raising a generation of media-literate parents in order for them to make the difference for children that we really want to make.” In my opinion, it’s less about seeing technology in an all good or all bad manner, and more about seeing it as an opportunity to learn, engage in conversations, and explore our child’s interests with them. It’s about figuring out how to incorporate these technological advancements into our daily lives, while also deepening our relationships with our children and realizing the influence we continue to have over their lives.

Tips on being involved:

• Be present and active
• Sit next to your child
• Ask questions
• Discuss the content
• Be mindful of what type of show is being watched
• If developmentally appropriate, talk about events happening across our world and discuss your child’s views, opinions, and thoughts.

About the author

Amanda Jordan is a licensed psychologist at the Cook Children's Urgent Care and Pediatric Specialties -Alliance.Cook Children's Behavioral Health services provides a broad range of care that focuses on children from 3 years through 17, and thier families. We also have some limited services for children age 2. As part of family-centered care, all of our professionals are qualified both through education and experience to work with children who have behavioral and emotional challenges. Our psychiatrists are board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and our psychologists and therapists are all licensed independently in Texas.

Have you seen or talked to them since?

Whether it’s a phone, a tablet or the TV, there’s no denying that the use of screens and media have changed childhood and parenting. Do you have a child that seems addicted to their screen?

With any change, there is potential good and potential harm. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has changed their stance recently based on the current state of research on the use of screen time on children and adolescents.

If you have time (and are a little nerdy), I strongly recommend that you read them:

Media and Young Minds

Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents

Children and Adolescents and Digital Media

It’s a total of about 30 pages of work. But, given the current state of how these affect our children and parenting styles, and the practice of pediatrics, there are fewer more important papers you could read.

AAP reccomendations include limiting screen time to 1 hour per day of for children 2 to 5 years of age. For kids 6 and older, be consistent with the amount of time looking at the screen and don't let it interfere with sleep, physical activity and other activities essential to good health.

In case you don’t have time, here are 11 key facts you should know about the new guidelines:

1. The average age children interact with media in 1970: 4 years; Today - 4 months.

2. You have to teach your toddler to talk, a device can't. Limit solo screen time until 2 years of age.

3.Under 18 months = Video Chat Only. 18-24 months = Choose high quality apps and play with child. Reteach what they are learning if you want any benefit.

4.Children must learn to sooth themselves without a screen. Don’t hand the phone over at the first sign of trouble.

5.Screen free zones are critical = 1) Dinner 2) Meal times 3) Bedroom 4) During play time (yes, parent, that means your phone too).

6.Media use is not ALL bad in teenagers: 1) Knowledge 2) Collaboration 3) Social support

7.Media use and overuse in teens can lead to many problems: 1) Obesity 2) Poor sleep 3) Problematic internet/gaming (addiction).

8.Is monitoring your teen's phone/device enough? No. You can't see/watch everything. You must teach them core values as well.

9.It’s not just kids struggling with these issues. Distracted parenting is a real problem as well across child ages.

10.If you want to succeed in this struggle, you must have a plan. Try out this great free tool from @AmerAcadPeds : http://www.healthychildren.org/MediaUsePlan

11.Just because an app or show is listed as educational, doesn't mean that it is ... do your own research and watch/play with child first.

At best, the mom is rolling her eyes and pulling her phone out to hand to her screaming child.

“Children under 2 years of age should have no screen time and after 2 years, we should limit screen time to 2 hours per day.”

There is the common summary statement that can be taken out of the AAP Policy Statement on Children, Adolescents and the Media.

Is this realistic?

Is this practical?

Is anyone listening to anything we say?

In May, a meeting of the best minds in the use of media in pediatrics set out to answer these questions as well as look at recent research on the use of screens in children and teenagers.

In order to get information about the meeting out quickly, AAP News released a summary of some of the thoughts that came out of the meeting.

If you read the headlines that were generated as a result of the statement, you might have heard:

“Pediatricians think all screen time is OK. Go for it!”

“Pediatricians finally admit that they were dead wrong and outdated when they said toddlers shouldn’t use screens.”

“Pediatric guidelines now changed to allow for more screen time, at earlier ages.”

Unfortunately, we don’t always get the time to fully explain our message and the media doesn’t always get it right.

Here are my takeaways from the statement that I hope better reflect the intent of the authors:

1. What you might have heard: “Pediatricians think all screen time is OK. Go for it!”

What it should have said: “We need to continue to be careful about the amount of time children are on screens. Guiding them toward quality apps and games that are more than just watching a video is important. Watching and playing alongside your children helps to enrich the experience for the family as a whole.”

2. What you might have heard: “Pediatricians finally admit that they were dead wrong and outdated when they said toddlers shouldn’t use screens.”

What it should have said: “The benefit of screen time for toddlers is an ongoing topic of research but it is clear that children continue to learn best from interacting with and talking to other humans. One of the major risk of screen time is the time take away from rich interaction with parents and other caregivers.”

3. What you might have heard: “Pediatric guidelines now changed to allow for more screen time, at earlier ages.”

What it should have said: “While this statement is not a new guideline, it does highlight the AAP commitment to following new research in regards to screen use and helping to relay that information to parents as soon as possible. As more information comes available, we will update our guidelines to reflect current studies in the context of practical media use for children.

Do continue to follow this debate because the guidelines are likely to change over time. (P.S. That’s what guidelines should do in a new and heavily researched field.)

Don’t go out and buy your 1 year old her own iPad.

A great way to help children learn to listen and talk is reading aloud. Reading aloud to that growing baby in utero is a jump start to listening, talking and future reading. Reading aloud to children of all ages has huge benefits.

Research on reading aloud to children tells us that it:

• Is the single most important thing to help a child get ready to read and learn.
• Helps a child learn more, unique words. Children who know more words do better when starting kindergarten.
• Helps a child’s brain develop. Language development is vitally important from birth to 3 years.
• Helps a child love to read.
• Helps a child learn.
• Helps parents bond with their child.
• Sets an example for children that reading is important and fun.

The first three years of a child’s life is the most important time for learning. Reading aloud to children boosts their vocabulary, listening and talking skills.

Will watching TV help my child learn?

A parent may ask, “My child loves to watch TV for several hours a day! What is wrong with that?” Watching a little bit of TV isn’t a bad thing. It’s what a child misses by watching many hours of TV. It can cause problems. Children may miss playing games, drawing, hobbies, playing outside and talking with friends or family. Those activities help children learn about getting along with others, problem solving and having fun. Playing and having fun are main ways that young children learn.

Watching TV doesn’t require any interaction with others. It is passive, not active. The American Academy of Pediatrics says no more than 10 hours a week of TV, and no TV for children less than 2 years. This is based on research. When children watch more than 10 hours a week of TV, school scores start dropping.

How long should read aloud time be?

Families lead very busy lives in today’s world. It’s very easy to hand over smart phones or tablets to children for easy, engaging, digital entertainment. Children may learn to swipe screens before learning to turn a page. Reading becomes less important. There is not a set amount of time to read aloud to children. Even 15 minutes a day can make a big difference. Here’s a great example of how reading aloud can affect a child during the first 5 years:

15 minutes every day x 365 days x 5 years = 27,375 minutes OR 456.25 hours of reading aloud. That means the child hears reading aloud 456 hours before starting kindergarten. That’s a great jump-start to being a good reader.

Some ideas for fitting reading aloud into your day and week:

• Visit your local library. Get a free library card for you and your child. Check out books weekly. It’s FREE!
• Visit read aloud story time at the library.
• Read aloud at breakfast time.
• Keep books in the car to read while waiting at appointments.
• Make bedtime book reading a family tradition.
• Have a family story time every week.
• Keep waterproof books in the bath tub for a quick read during bath time.
• Read together as a family every day.
• Have older siblings read aloud to younger siblings.

Reading aloud should be FUN and FREQUENT! It is never too early or too late to start reading aloud to your child.

Resources:

1.Jim Trelease on Reading: www.trelease-on-reading.com

2.Read Aloud 15 Minutes: www.readaloud.org

3.Reach Out and Read: http://reachoutandread.org

4.Reading Rockets: www.readingrockets.org 

References:

1.Anderson, Richard C., http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED253865.pdf

2.http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx.

3.www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-ch9.html

4.http://www.wonderbabiesco.org/UserFiles/File/Graven%20and%20Browne%20Auditory%2008.pdf

About the author

Becky Clem, MA, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, is a Rehab Services education coordinator at Cook Children's. Cook Children's offers four types of therapy plans, and tailor them for your child's individual needs. Cook Children's services and specializations include:

• Audiology
• Cochlear implant
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Speech therapy
• Transitional care
• SPORTS

Still, Dr Keator takes precautions.

She states, “I suffer from migraines, as due several of my colleagues. Most migraine sufferers have busy lifestyles, and a main trigger is fatigue. Therefore, what I tell my patients and also practice myself: exercise regularly, stay well hydrated, eat well and get adequate sleep. Another very important recommendation is to limit time on electronic devices. I do my best to minimize migraines and headaches by taking frequent computer breaks.”

Most professional and educational activities are spent on some sort of electronic device, and in today’s world, introduction to electronic devices starts at a very young age. Media is everywhere and it is competing for children’s attention.

Statistically speaking, over 75 percent of children have some degree of hand-held or electronic devices. A great portion of the child’s day is spent on these devices, which by default, take away from other activities. Headaches and/or migraines in children can be exacerbated or increased due to spending excess time using electronic devices: watching TV, video games, texting, playing on tablets, etc.

The concern is that the time spent (and the content) on the devices may interfere with other regular childhood activities and natural sleep/wake cycle, especially when used in excess. Dr Keator states, that when children use electronic devices in excess, this leads to interruption in sleep which will lead to fatigue, and for many children it can lead to headaches/migraines. It can also lead to attention problems, school difficulties, eating disorders and obesity. Prolonged time spent on electronic devices interrupts other activities: homework, dinner time, family time, exercise, and sleep.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting or completely eliminating screen time for children under the age of 2 years. Then as children get older, media is slowly introduced. For children age 3-5 years, limit to 30-60 minutes; children age 6-9 years 60-120 minutes a day; and for older children over 120 minutes is allowed.

But let’s be realistic; these time limits no longer fit in our current world of technology.

“Technology is here and electronic devices are a multi-billion dollar industry and it is not going anywhere,” Dr Keator states. “In neurology, our recommendation is time limits. The younger you are, the less time that is allowed. However, everyone needs breaks regardless of the age. Try to limit time on electronic devices to 15-30 minute increments followed by breaks. During the breaks, I recommend doing something outside, spending time with friends or family, or just resting; then resume activity on the particular device.”

Dr Keator does acknowledge that many schools are incorporating computers or touch screens into the academic curriculum. For children who are migraine or headache suffers, she recommends getting up and relaxing the eyes and giving the brain time to rest.

“It’s a balance,” she emphasizes. Parents and teachers have to work on positive media/electronic use with time limits and breaks. Media/electronic devices should not be in the bedroom and this includes smart phones. Make dedicated family time without electronics. When electronics are used, make sure it is monitored and make it educational as much as possible.

More about Dr. Keator

Dr. Cynthia Keator joined Cook Children's Neurosciences in July 2012. She is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with special qualifications in Child Neurology and sub-specializes in pediatric epilepsy. A good portion of her clinical practice in spent in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Cook Children's Medical Center where she diagnoses and treats patients with epilepsy. 

Dr. Keator is a native of Fort Worth where she was raised and attended Trinity Valley School for 13 years. Uniquely, she volunteered at Cook Children's when she was in high school. "I can truly say that it was my volunteer experience that attracted me to pediatrics andCook Children's. Now having finished my training, it was an easy decision to choose Cook Children's". Dr. Keator completed her undergraduate training at Texas A&M University and then obtained her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Dr. Keator's husband is also a native of Texas. They live in Fort Worth with their German Shepherd. Dr. Keator enjoys spending time with her family who still reside in the DFW area.

“When a child plays an electronic game and receives frequent intermittent rewards, their brains release dopamine – a neurotransmitter that is closely related to reward motivated behavior,” said Lisa Elliott, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and manager of the Cook Children’s Behavioral Health Clinic in Denton. “In school or in other social situations, a child does not normally receive these rewards, making it more difficult for them to stay focused in a non-technology based situation.”

Elliott believes this is a factor contributing to the recent rise in ADHD. She said she is concerned about gadgets, especially video games, and what they could be doing to harm our children.  By allowing so much focus on technology and mobile devices, children aren’t learning to hold their attention without some type of reward.

Whatever the cause is, Elliott offers four simple ways to prevent the damage that gadgets could be causing your child:

1.Remove any screens from the bedroom.

2.Pay attention to the content your child is viewing, especially violence.

3.Set limits on screen time each day. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screens be kept out of kids' bedrooms and children should be limited to less than two hours per day of screen time. For children under 2 years of age, all screen media exposure is discouraged.

4.Create healthy playtime such as outdoors or being active.

These simple changes may make the difference in how your children perform this school year.And while your kids may be upset now, they'll thank you later.

About the source

Lisa Elliott is a licensed psychologist and clinic manager of Cook Children's Behavioral Health, located at 3201 Teasley Lane, Ste. 202, Denton, TX 76210. To make an appoinment with her, call 682-885-3917.

About the author

Caroline Gayler volunteers in the public relations department at Cook Children’s Health Care System. She is a senior at TCU majoring in Strategic Communications. 

The summer is coming to an end and so is our time blogging about reducing our household media time. To finish up the series, I thought I would interview the kids and ask them what they thought about our summer experiment. The answers are very real and brutally honest. .

What was the best part of our screen free experiment this summer?

Max, age 11.5 years – “Hanging out with my friends at the pool more.”

Morgan, age 10 years – “In Michigan, it was like fun because we weren’t always on the screen and stuff, and we had more things to do with the world.”

Matthew, age 6 years – “Nothing at all.”

What was the worst part of being screen free?

Maxwell – “I couldn’t catch up on all the things I was missing on my games and less time playing with my friends (online).”

Morgan – “When I wanted the electronics because there was literally nothing to do, you wouldn’t let me have them, and that really annoyed me.”

Matthew – “I couldn’t play with anybody (online).”

What can we learn from our screen free summer?

Maxwell – “I learned that I play with my friends more online than I do in real life during the summer, not during the school year, but during the summer.”

Morgan – “Video games aren’t the answer to happiness.There are other things you can do besides electronics.”

Matt – “It (the computer) will make you mad if you watch it too long.”

Would you do this screen free experiment again?

Maxwell  - “No.”

Morgan - “I don’t know, maybe, if we go to Michigan, or a different state.”

Matthew – “Um, no.”

What should our family work on next?

Maxwell – “Playing more sports. That would be so much easier.”

Morgan – “Manners. Our family should work on being nicer to each other (siblings fighting). Being more serious about the screen free thing because we still played it a lot.”

Matthew – “Clean the house.”

The answers made me pause and think that while we actually had some pretty great screen free moments this summer, we still have some work to do (and we need to clean the house).

I am so incredibly grateful to Dr. Mangham and to Cook Children’s for this unusual summer experiment! Although we were not “screen free” and did not manage to “go dark” very often, being asked to write about our efforts really opened my eyes to just how much time we do spend on the screen, how much we depend on it and just how capable we are of living without it. We are a family that is “off” more than we are “on” now, and will continue to strive to use it less and less every day.

Thanks so much everyone!

Previous media free stories:

• 'TV head' - Could you unplug?
• Going media free - part 1
• Breaking it to the crew - part 2
• 'Operation Unplug' - part 3
• We far from nailed it - part 4
• Screen free for 20 days - part 5

About the author

Aubrey Conklin, moved to Texas from Michigan via Chicago almost 10 years ago. She’s been married for 14 years and is the  mom to three kids ages 11,10 and 6. A huge sports fan who not only loves all things Detroit sports but spends her own free time playing soccer, volleyball and softball. Aubrey is a part time preschool teacher as well, a volunteer for her kid's school. 

We took a 20 day trip to Michigan this summer. We took a 20 day trip  and I had agreed to go “screen free” for Cook’s Children’s. Boy, whose awesome idea was that?

So far in our little summer experiment, we had not exactly been “screen free” and I was telling the world via blog, all about our constant failures to eliminate electronics from our lives. I was determined that we were going to get some serious screen free time in while we were in Michigan. By golly, I would have some kind of success with this project and have something inspiring and monumental to report back to everyone who had been taking the time to read our summer blog! No pressure ...

I had Cook Children’s and our little experiment in mind when I packed for the trip. I took the time to buy books, coloring tablets and games for the kids to play on the plane and for ALL the driving we would be doing. But I also packed the electronics. Ok, I packed the electronics and at some points during the trip they were immensely helpful and appreciated and I was glad they were there. Ok, I admit it.

In typical Team Conklin fashion, we were not perfect, but we had some pretty awesome screen free moments. We had a looooooong two-hour drive to a lake cabin. Living in DFW, my kids do not usually have to sit in the car for more than 15 minutes to go anywhere. I was bracing myself for this one and my autopilot self casually offered the kids some electronics for the ride.

From the backseat I heard, “I think I will go scween fwee today” from the 6 year old. Wait, what? What? Little man just up and decided he was going to road trip it without any electronic assistance. I was floored, and skeptical, but that little dude made it two hours no problem.

For some of my sweet friends reading, I know this is not a big deal for your child and they may long road trip it daily screen free. But for us, this was huge and exciting. And you know what? We had a lovely ride, we talked a lot, a whole lot. He rested. We played car bingo. It was really really fun. Even my middle girl had a mini moment. The battery on her cell phone died early on in our drive and she didn’t ask to charge it or to have another device. She quietly picked up a book and read for the rest of the trip. Maybe, just maybe, even though we aren’t totally screen free yet, our dramatic daily reduction is really starting to have an impact.

We made it to the cabin and had a blast swimming, kayaking, canoeing, making s'mores ... the total typical vacation by the lake stuff. It was awesome and void of most electronics most of the time. One interesting observation during our trip. The less time the kids spent on the screen, the better they slept. Good, solid, deep, healthy sleep. And the parts of the trip where the screen time was increased, sleep quality decreased. Monumental and inspiring? Maybe not, but things are changing around here….

Previous media free stories:

• 'TV head' - Could you unplug?
• Going media free - part 1
• Breaking it to the crew - part 2
• 'Operation Unplug' - part 3
• We far from nailed it - part 4

About the author

Aubrey Conklin, moved to Texas from Michigan via Chicago almost 10 years ago. She’s been married for 14 years and is the  mom to three kids ages 11,10 and 6. A huge sports fan who not only loves all things Detroit sports but spends her own free time playing soccer, volleyball and softball. Aubrey is a part time preschool teacher as well, a volunteer for her kid's school. 

I had just agreed to write about how our family is going to drastically reduce their screen time over the summer. Now to break it to the kids. I was actually a little nervous about their reactions. After all, I had created three media junkies.

We were at the eye doctor. I was watching all three kids play on their handheld devices. My original plan was to have a big family meeting after dinner and explain the plan. But instead, in the waiting room I simply blurted out, “We are going to go almost totally screen free for the rest of the summer.” I was waiting for the big wails and sobs and yells of protests, but I don’t think they believed me. They sort of chuckled and looked back down at their games. I explained that I had been asked to write about the experience on a regular basis, and we were really going down to one hour a day. Oh buddy. That got their attention.

My middle girl, Morgan, 10 years old, said, “You know, that might be fun, we may learn something.” 

That was about it as far as the family taking it well.

Our youngest, Matthew, 6 years, said, “I don’t want to.”

Our oldest boy, Max, 11 years, said, “What? Wait, what? When? For just this weekend? Are you sure? Mom, this is not going to work. Can I pay for extra time? Can we start in September? What are we gonna DO all summer if we can’t play games?” 

You get the drift, Max is not happy. Like at all. This line of questioning went on for hours. I think I saw him actually go through some of the stages of grief to be honest, especially the denial and bargaining part. Poor guy.

I told the kids my plan is to allow them one hour a day with the option to earn an additional hour a day by doing certain chores and tasks. I figure we can set it up together. Maybe a family trip to Hobby Lobby to buy a fancy chore chart, stickers. You know, all that cool stuff I see on Pinterest, but never actually do.

I decided to give the kids 24 hours to mentally prepare. The two youngest ones want to start now. My oldest, not so much. I know there are going to be special circumstances that may result in the kids getting additional time (I bet Max will be the first to point ALL of them out) and I am not totally sure how this is going to go. I have to admit, I have gone from being completely freaked out by the idea to actually a little curious how our summer is going to change now that we will be a lot less distracted. 

Previous media free stories:

• 'TV head' - Could you unplug?
• Going media free - part 1

Aubrey Conklin, moved to Texas from Michigan via Chicago almost 10 years ago. She’s been married for 14 years and is the  mom to three kids ages 11,10 and 6.  A huge sports fan who not only loves all things Detroit sports but spends her own free time playing soccer, volleyball and softball.  Aubrey is a part time preschool teacher as well, a volunteer for her kid's school.