A parenting expert has shared the four questions she asks her children to help limit their screen time this half term.

Parenting specialist Kirsty Ketley, 42, has previously made headlines for revealing the worst parenting tips and myths that we should avoid.

Now, Surrey-based Kirsty, who is mum to Ella, 10, and Leo, 6, has weighed in on the controversial topic of screen time.

While she believes there are positives to using screens, she has shared her four-step rule which her children must follow before they can watch TV, play digital games, or use iPads.

The questions she asks her kids are:

Have you spent a minimum of 60 minutes outside today?

Have you done some reading?

Have you played with your toys

Have you tidied up after yourself?

“We have our four steps in place where they have to have spent time outdoors each day – even in the winter, they have read and done other things, like playing with their toys and being creative,” Kirsty told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

“Knowing these are what needs to have happened before screen time, now means that screens are not the default and they tend to gravitate towards doing other things first.

“It helps them take some responsibility for their screen time too.”

After these four rules have been followed, Kirsty then lets her children have some screen time.

She said: “For us, we limit things like YouTube and gaming to one hour at a time, as we see a shift in the kids’ behaviour, where they struggle to regulate afterward and this can cause big emotions to come out and grumpiness.

“With watching TV, there are no time limits set in stone. It varies, depending on the day, what plans we have, and the time of day, but it's usually around one to two hours at a time.

“However, we do stop screen time 30 minutes before bed, to help them 'switch off' for sleep.”

Kirsty also encourages her children to watch things on BBC iPlayer, instead of Netflix and Amazon.

She said: “They both enjoy using the iPlayers – Operation Ouch and Deadly 60 are two favourites – and this means that they are not passively watching the TV, as they do when watching cartoons on Netflix.

“Of course, they do still get to watch cartoons, sometimes I think they need that time to completely zone out.

“But we do ensure that they watch other programmes that are more educational and less passive to the watch, which is great for brain development.”

However, Kirsty also wants to fight the stigma attached to children being on screens.

She said: “Some parents worry that their child may have too much of them, and it is that, that most are worried about, rather than any negative effects screen time can have.

“Leo's optician did tell me how screens do impact eye health though, so that's something I think parents should be aware of.

“But if they have screens alongside doing other things, with boundaries in place, I don't personally think there is too much cause for worry.

“Just make sure it's age-appropriate.

“I don't think screen time should be seen as such a bad thing as it is and I don't believe in banning kids from having it.

“We live in a time where screens are everywhere - from ordering food, to use in classrooms and doing homework, there's no escaping it, but I do think that parents should set boundaries and encourage their kids to play without screens so that they use vital communication and social skills and they have human interaction.

“Screen time can, therefore, be a useful way to educate.

“It can help children 'escape' into a story and it can be a useful way for parents to get a few minutes to themselves - it just shouldn't be the default.”

ENDS

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