{Book Review} Parents, time to take charge with Calmer, Easier, Happier Screen Time

Technology is great and we cannot deny it’s importance in our daily life. But what if the gadgets start overpowering us and take the complete control of our especially kids’ thoughts, actions and overall behavior? One word – Dangerous!

Some days I wrote a piece on the same topic and around the same time I caught hold of this book – I would call it a Guide actually because it helps parents to combat the ill-effects of screen time and make it calmer, easier and happier for all in the family.

Do you have these complaints or hear this often from your friends, relatives and colleagues?

  • My Daughter spends most of her time and she is on computer for hours. What she exactly does?
  • My teenagers bring phone to the dinner table, no matter how many times I remind them to focus on food and conversation.
  • The moment they are back from school, they start using gadgets and never-ending screen time starts.

This and many such scenarios are pretty common in households now-a-days and that is why a guide like “Calmer, Easier, Happier Screen Time by Noël Janis-Norton” is such a great help.

Noël Janis-Norton is a learning and behavior specialist with more than 40 years’ experience helping parents and teachers on both sides of the Atlantic.

I am reading it and enjoying my book time. Frankly speaking, it already made me kick out some of my own screen time! I remember myself as an avid reader till the mobile devices took over. There is a need to get back to books already for me.

Well, coming back to this awesome book, in the first few pages itself, you will realize that the examples stated are so so relate-able and you start getting kind of glued to the book. What I liked about this book is that it’s not asking to ditch or deny the technology completely. It just underlines the importance of prioritizing other aspects of life rather than becoming slaves of screen time.

The book is divided into 3 sections.

  • First Section – Here author emphasizes why the parents need to get back in charge.

  • Second Section – It focuses on How to get back in charge of the electronics in your home

  • Third Section – Illustrates the strategies that will make the new screen habits easier to establish
  • There is a summary section towards the end and appendix doling out links to online and other resources.

 

My rating:

HIGHLY Recommended for parents who are getting worried about the increasing ill-effects of screen time and want to take charge of the situation and make it positive.

More info:

TITLE: Calmer, Easier, Happier Screen Time

AUTHOR: Noël Janis-Norton

ISBN: 9781473622760

PUBLISHER: Yellow Kite, Hodder and Stoughton Ltd.

Distributed by: Pansing Book Distribution

Availability:  at all the leading bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia

28 thoughts on “{Book Review} Parents, time to take charge with Calmer, Easier, Happier Screen Time”

  1. Pingback: 10 Things to do this September School Holidays in Singapore

  2. Seems like a book I’ve been looking for – giving ideas to parents on what to replace their kids’ screen time with! Thanks for sharing!

  3. These recommendations would apply to parents too, I am guilty of over-indulging in my social feeds.

    cheers, Andy
    (SengkangBabies.com)

  4. I think many parents need to read this! Too often the screen is used as a convenient babysitter, and parents won’t experience the ill effects until it’s too late. Just like fire, everything that has the potential of addiction is a good servant but bad master. So what is key is to work out a balance in terms of limits and enforce them well, not just on our kids but on ourselves!

  5. I was trying to zoom in to the picture to get some tips! An interesting read indeed. Hoping to get a hold of it to get some insights. Thanks for sharing

    Phoebe
    BPDGTravels

  6. When I need time off, I listen to meditation music so that I get to relax and not tense up too much. I’m not sure if I will ever let my kid touch the iPad or computer too much when they are young~

  7. Looks like a very useful book for all parents! You’re right, kids these days are very intelligent with all the technology avbl around, but it comes with its own troubles as well!

  8. Well, I need to read this! Just this week, my youngest has been throwing fits whenever we say ‘No’ to giving him the phone or letting him play on the PS4. Oh, he’s only 2 and 9 months too! He’s going on a detox. It’s just that he was sick at the start of the week so we just let him rest and watch his cartoons. So now that he’s better, we go back to limiting it and he’s not adjusting well.

  9. This is a really good book to remind us the things we can do to detach from devices and technology. We really need more time interacting with each other than being drawn to devices.

  10. wow i need to suggest this to so many of my friends whose kids are tv addict, once nirvik was addicted too but when i started reading to him , doing montessori activities she became more calm and productive!!!

    allThastMom

  11. My baby’s screen time is restricted to the time when he needs to have his medicine. Thats the only way I can get a few drops into his mouth 🙂

  12. So Karma’s screen time is very limited for but it was high at one time. Going by your review, I think is a must read for all parents regardless of high or low screen times because sooner or later, all of us will face this problem. I am definitely picking this book up. Thanks for sharing.

  13. Fabulous Mom Life

    This looks like a really valuable book to have! Definitely checking this one out.

  14. I agree Shubhada. Screen time is one of the culprits of limited interaction among family and friends. Now a days, that’s becoming a permanent resident in any household.

    There has to be some boundaries.

    Well written post!!

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