1- You can’t figure out what to do with screen time, you have conflicted thoughts, so you take the path of least resistance
The problem with having unlimited screens for this reason is that you end up feeling wracked with guilt when your kids end up sending days on end in front of the screen. Your kids can pick up on this energy and won’t be thriving in their world with it around.
2- That’s what good unschoolers do, right?
Actually, unschoolers all around the world do screen time really differently. In the UK it’s a bit more normal for unschoolers to have unlimited screen time, but in New Zealand for example it’s quite rare! There really isn’t a set way. There ARE some unschooling principles that can guide you in making screen time decisions. See this post for those.
3- An unschooling mama you admire on Instagram does unlimited screens and her family all looks super happy
But her family is her family, and her kids are her kids! She might have kids that absolutely thrive in this environment. You might too! OR you might have kids that need a lot more holding and more sense of safety around their screen time use.
4- You don’t know how to figure out what is a rational fear about screens and what is just an adultist belief
You can’t distinguish between what you should be worried about and what is just old school beliefs that don’t value what children love. So instead you just cross your fingers and hope there’s nothing to be worried about. Well, sometimes there IS stuff to be concerned about!
5- Consistency isn’t your strong point so you can’t stick to the guidelines you set
So they just end up watching all the time anyway. Once again, this ends up with you feeling guilty and your kids being well aware of the energy dynamic.
6- You are afraid you don’t let them have limitless screens then they will get a scarcity mindset about screens and always hunger for it
Guess what, some kids will NEVER be satiated! There’s not enough screen time in the world for some kids, and that doesn’t mean they are broken! It means they need our support.
