Screen time can become a controversial issue among parents. There are so many things to consider when it comes to screens, not the least of which is how much is too much. Some parents are very strict about screen time and have very defined limits. Others are a bit more relaxed. Every family has to decide what is suitable for their children and not judge others for their choices.
Jay Whitfield, 37, is extremely liberal about allowing her kids to use screens. She told SWNS that her kids can basically spend as much time as they want on screens and that other parents need to mind their own business.
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Whitfield doesn't give strict limits to her kids.
She told SWNS per the New York Post that her kids could spend up to 10 hours per day in front of the TV or using an iPad, and that's OK with her. She doesn't limit her son, 7, or daughter, 14, but does make them turn off screens 30 minutes before bed. Shea and her husband, Simon, 38, do their best to take the kids out of the house for day trips and vacations, but sometimes, they like to "chill."
Sometimes screens act as a babysitter.
She told SWNS that a screen might be necessary for parents who can't afford child care.
"People have the judgment that using screens is a babysitter. If you can't afford childcare I can't see the harm on putting on the TV so you can get things done. I have always been quite relaxed about it," she said.
She said it's not every day that her kids spend excessive time on screens, but in a digital world, it's going to be a way of life for them no matter what.
Her kids spend time on screens after having busy days out of the house.
Whitfield admitted that her kids recently spent about 10 hours on a screen in one day, but that was after two hectic days out of the house.
"We had been out two days prior — it was a bit full on. They need a day chilling at home. Kids need that. It can't always been full on all the time. It's their holiday — they shouldn't have to go out," she explained.
Whitfield used screens as a kid, too.
She grew up in the 1990s and said she played video games and watched TV, and no one criticized her parents back then. As technology evolved and social media interconnected everyone, however, things changed.
"Our parents were not scrutinized. No one knew what anyone else was doing. You feel guilty your kids are sat on screens."
She added that if her kids get too much time, she can see it and take the screens away.
"It's about balance. We have days out and days in. We make sure screens go off half an hour before bed. You've just got to monitor it and do what's right for you," she said.
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After the mom's story went viral, she had a message for the haters.
She posted a video on her Instagram, @jayslittlejourney, and declared, "Parent shaming sucks." Her sudden viral fame brought a lot of hate, but she also received compassion, and for that, she's grateful.
"Will some more parent shaming come my way? Probably… but who cares what people think of me, all that matters is my kids are happy, healthy & loved. Other than that, what is important to me is that other parents see REAL life on social media because being a parent is hard enough without the constant comparison to perfectionism that doesn't even really exist," she wrote in the video's caption.
