By including physical play regularly in their day, you can help limit the amount of time your child spends sitting. Some of the things children learn through moving cannot be taught or learned from sitting still or watching screens. Parents are often misled into thinking that colourful images on TV programmes and other electronic devices are good for a child’s mental development, but even though children will naturally be attracted to these, it does not mean they're good for them. When children are physically active during their play, they use all 5 senses to learn about the world around them.
Some ideas to help your child to sit less include:
- limiting the use of equipment that restricts movement, such as baby walkers, high chairs and activity gyms
- not leaving children to sleep in capsules and car seats – they should be used for transportation only
- discouraging screen time for children under 2 years and limiting screen time to less than 1 hour every day for children aged 2 years or older
- replacing TV time with reading time, story time or doing jigsaw puzzles together
- encouraging toddlers and pre-schoolers to walk instead of being in a pushchair.