Families learn to navigate screen time
Parents from St. Mark’s and Hockaday came together to learn about one of the most prevalent issues facing families today: screen time. Speaking at the annual joint meeting of the two schools’ Parents’ Associations, pediatrician Dr. Bobo Blankson and bestselling author Amy Blankson presented “Screen Time in a Post-Pandemic World.” Through medical research and personal experience, the husband-and-wife duo shared how they combat the growing ubiquity of screens with both their patients and their own family.
“We as parents want to find a tangible benchmark of screen time,” Amy Blankson said. “But we’re missing the bigger picture. What kids do online is just as important as how long they’re online. And what you’re doing offline and for how long is equally important.”
Dr. Bobo Blankson urged parents to realize that not all screen time is the same. “Is playing a game on your phone for an hour the same as watching the Cowboys with your family for an hour?”
The pair offered some actionable suggestions to help families manage their online time, including:
- Help children realize their habits by using their device’s built-in screen time tracking software.
- Build “social capital” by learning more about the ways children use their screens.
- Encourage children when they find positive social interactions and educational content on their screens.
- Create a shared family plan for managing screen time.
- Own up to your mistakes if you misuse or overuse screens.
“We want you to have a relationship of guiding rather than controlling,” Amy said. “Our children have access to so much beneficial content as long as we establish those guardrails and engage in conversations with them.”
This year’s Joint Meeting of the Parents’ Associations was organized by Dawn Zierk (St. Mark’s) and Anne-Marie Myhre (Hockaday). The evening also included the announcement of each school’s respective slate of executive committee officers for the coming year.
St. Mark’s 2024-2025 Executive Committee includes:
- President: Katherine Steinbrueck
- President-Elect: Cindy Brown
- Parliamentarian: Cindy Hanson
- VP Communications: Rita Han
- VP Communications-Elect: Adrianne Bagley
- VP Celebrate Community: Sarah Neuhoff
- Secretary: Julia Kaufman
- Treasurer: Susie Isaac
- Treasurer-Elect: Ashley Ellis
- Upper School Coordinator: Angie Cooper
- Middle School Coordinator: Stephanie Harbour
- Lower School Coordinator: Johannah Kersey
-
-
Amy Blankson and Dr. Bobo Blankson
-
St. Mark’s School of Texas
10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
About Us
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
