The transition from spring to summer means increased free time for many of us, especially for families and those with children. Many popular television networks that offer programming for children and families promote 'special summer schedules.' Research indicates that the average American youth between the ages of 8 - 18 spends approximately 4 hours per day watching television or DVDs/videos, 1 hour per day on the computer, and roughly 45 minutes playing video games. That totals roughly 6 hours per day of total screen time for the typical American youth. As little (or much, pending your viewpoint) as 2 hours of total daily screen time has been shown to be problematic. Research indicates connections between 2 or more hours of total screen time and obesity, lowered self-esteem, behavioral problems, academic difficulties, sleep disturbances, and overall health problems.

MindBodyHealth has several guidelines to consider to promote a healthy relationship with screen time.

Monitor Overall Screen Time:
Are you aware of how much time you, your family, and your children are spending in front of television and computer screens? Monitor overall usage for one week. You may be surprised at your findings.

Set Limits:
Be firm with how much time you allow yourself and your family to spend in screen time on a daily basis. Let expectations be known ahead of time. MindBodyHealth recommends no more than 2 hours of screen time per day (which is liberal considering most research recommends no more than 1 hour per day). A good rule of thumb is to break total screen time down into smaller increments, for example, 2 hours could be best used in four 30 minute chunks.

Be A Good Model:
Most of us remember the slogan "Parents who use drugs, have children who use drugs." The same concept applies to screen time. Parents who model excessive television and computer usage tend to have children who learn similar behaviors. Parents who model appropriate exposure to television and computer consumption have children who grow up learning this valuable lesson.

Explore Other Activities:
There are numerous other activities to explore, especially in the summer time. Activities can range for outdoor physical exercise, to reading or drawing on a blanket in the park, to indoor arts and crafts activities. Get creative - you and your family will be appreciate it.

Make Screen Time Family Time:
Screen time should never be used as a  distraction or babysitter. One way to promote overall family functioning is to utilize screen time as a family movie or game night. Time spent in front of the television can be promoted as another means of quality family time. MindBodyHealth also recommends active programs, such as Wii sports.