Migraine headaches, sleeplessness, puffy eyes, and tiredness. Your children are struggling a lot. right? It's never been easy to keep track of your child's screen usage. Most children nowadays appear to be able to control devices from an early age, and those screens can be captivating. You may feel like you're always fighting to keep screen time to a minimum. 

The world as we knew it changed and most of us are forced to stay at home due to stay-at-home orders, making screen time limits extremely impossible to enforce. Instead of classroom interaction in person, kids involved in remote learning interact via a screen, meaning hours a day of screen time. And this is scary. Children have no option other than this because all their learning and classroom activities depend on laptops and mobile phones. As a result, many children are spending even more time looking at a screen than they have in the past.  

Too much screen time can cause sensitivity to light and digital eye strain, which include weary, itchy, or burning eyes. Eye strain can cause headaches that are concentrated around the eyes and temples. Kids may squint while looking at screens if there isn't enough light, and prolonged squinting can exhaust muscles and cause a tension headache. Incorrect posture while viewing screens can strain the neck and back, resulting in headaches. 

But we can monitor the factors which cause headaches and irritations and find appropriate solutions to lessen the impact of online learning. 

1. Keep some distance 

Keep screens at least an elbow's length away from children's sight. Keeping screens too close to the face keeps the eyes fixed on the screen rather than allowing them to relax, which can cause eye fatigue, headaches, and other vision difficulties. 

2. Don’t let kids have Electronics in Bed 

Lack of sleep might result in sleepy eyes. To avoid sleep disruption, keep screens out of your child's bedroom, especially at night. It's also a good idea to make your children switch off their screens one hour before bedtime. 

3. Blink often 

When you stare at a screen for long periods of time, your blinking rate decreases, resulting in dry eyes. When your child is using a computer, smartphone, or tablet, remind them to blink more frequently. Also, ask them to close their eyes for a while after looking at the screen for a long time. 

4. Encourage breaks

It's easy for kids to get caught up in school or play and forget to look away from their smartphones. Every 20 minutes, parents and children should glance away from their screens for at least 20 seconds, staring at something at least 20 feet away. If at all feasible, kids should take a break from their screens for a few minutes every hour. 

5. Keep an eye on the screen's position. 

Poor posture, neck discomfort, and increased eye strain can all be caused by incorrect screen positioning. Place screens at eye level so that children don't have to bend their necks up or down to get a good view. 

6. Enhance Lighting 

While children should not use screens in dimly lit environments, too much light can cause glare and cause eye tiredness. In a space where screens are utilized, the illumination should be around half of what you would use for reading or writing. Screens should be placed in such a way that light does not shine directly on them. keep the lighting in your room, both natural and artificial balanced with the brightness of the monitor. Also, consider positioning your screen to avoid glare. 

7. Don't forget about vision exams 

As many children may not speak out if they are having symptoms of eye disorders, regular vision examinations are essential. Make sure your child’s vision is getting checked at regular intervals. If any problems are detected, your child may be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist. 

8. Stay hydrated  

Intake of water is important for children as well as adults. The best way to get your child to drink water is to be a role model for them.  The more they see you do it, they will do it too!  Drinking water routinely and offering it at every opportunity with each meal and snack time, it will build a lifelong habit for your children.  It is important to mention that you should drink water before you feel thirsty. Proper intake of water reduces dryness of the eyes and tiredness. 

9. Relax!

Stress reduction strategies such as mindfulness and meditation can and should be taught to children. Teaching your children how to use these essential tools will help them not only ease their headaches, but also reduce anxiety, improve focus and attention, improve sleep, and improve overall well-being. 

Relaxation and mindfulness are skills that can be learned (by both parents and kids!). A daily family practice that is shared as part of the nighttime routine can build a sense of tranquility and well-being for the next day and the days ahead!