Huffingtonpost iconHuffingtonpostSep 12, 2026 ~1 min source read

Child Therapists Reveal They Wish Parents Would Stop Doing This 1 Thing During Meals

It's hard to imagine a time when " screen time " isn't a hot-button topic, right? The problems that come with spending too much time on screens are pretty well-known.

Child Therapists Reveal They Wish Parents Would Stop Doing This 1 Thing During Meals

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It's hard to imagine a time when " screen time " isn't a hot-button topic, right?

The problems that come with spending too much time on screens are pretty well-known.

A 2023 study points to effects such as eye strain, neck pain, depression, anxiety, decreased well-being and more.

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The useful part

It's hard to imagine a time when " screen time " isn't a hot-button topic, right? The problems that come with spending too much time on screens are pretty well-known. A 2023 study points to effects such as eye strain, neck pain, depression, anxiety, decreased well-being and more.

How it works

  • Research published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics suggests that parents use screens during mealtime more often than kids do, and that this habit can interfere with interpersonal relationships.
  • Another <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/how-parents-smartphone-use-affects-their-kids" target="_blank" rel=...
  • Yet, with technology advancing and taking us all by storm – and with the necessity of a Ms.
  • Rachel video when you're trying to finish doing the dishes, for example – the urge to give kids a phone, tablet or some TV is all too real.
  • If it helps, child therapists believe that screen time isn't the absolute worst thing.

What to take from it

There are just factors you need to consider as you establish healthy boundaries. Below, find the one thing they wish adults would be better with when it comes to kids and screen time, along with some other advice to help you navigate it.

Details worth keeping

Perhaps it's not about controlling your child's screen time, but your own.

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