5 Ways Teens Can Learn to Balance Screen Time and Learning

In recent years, screen time for children and teens has become a hot topic. Nearly everyone, even a significant number of teens, agree that teenagers spend too much time on their devices. Considering the fact that less than 4 years ago, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, screened devices were the primary tools for just about every aspect of life, it’s no surprise that teens have continued to depend on this technology. However, excessive screen time can cause teens to become insecure, anxious and even unable to sleep properly. All of these can distract your teen from their education during a pivotal time. Read on to learn about some ways your teen can work toward achieving a better balance between screen time and learning.  

Set Realistic Screen Time Limits

The first step to establishing a plan for screen time is deciding on rules for daily usage. Work with your teen to figure out what limits make sense and how they can stick to their goals. If your teen struggles to get away from their phone, self care apps like Finch or screen time specific apps can help them stay on track. As long as your teen understands that they’re working toward better balance for themselves and aren’t being punished, whatever tool they use to achieve screen time balance is fine.  

Schedule Focus Time and Break Times

Coming home from school and seeing a pile of homework that needs to be done can be intimidating. Work with your teen to create a schedule for homework and studying, ensuring that it includes a break every 30 minutes or so. Consider setting timers to ensure that your teen takes breaks and gets back on track each time. Some teens and adults find listening to pomodoro playlists, which play calming music and set off an alarm during each break, helps them stay focused. 

Use Screens as a Tool for Learning

Screen time isn’t all bad. Your teen can use their screen time to help them study and learn. There are plenty of educational apps and websites that can help when they’re struggling to grasp a subject. Computers and mobile devices can also be used for research, though your teen may need help figuring out how to differentiate reliable and unreliable sources of information. 

Make Time for Other Hobbies and Interests

Part of balancing screen time and school work is taking time away from both. Rest and relaxation are as important as getting work done. Teens can take time away from screens and work through extracurricular activities like sports and school clubs. Picking up new hobbies, like sewing, reading or writing by hand, that involve taking time away from screens, can be another great outlet. 

Focus More on the Real World

The internet connects us in so many ways, but one thing it can’t give us is in-person connection. Screens can also take us away from the world around us. Encourage your teen to plan outings with their friends that don’t involve screens. Find time to get the family together for screen-free weekends. Focusing on the real world will help your teen become more connected to what’s in front of them. It will also help build up in-person communication skills, a valuable tool that can be lost to our mobile devices. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we know that screens are necessary for modern life and believe that screen time balance is essential to teens’ wellbeing. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Talking to Your Teen About Safe Driving

Getting on the road for the first time can be a freeing experience, but it also needs to be a safe one. When your teen gets their driver’s license, the first thing that comes to mind is their newfound freedom. They may be nervous to get out there and drive, but overall, it’s a positive experience. Now is an important time for you to talk to your teen about the importance of safe driving and the potential dangers they’ll find on the road ahead. 

Start with the Basics

First, talk to your teen about traffic laws and regulations. They needed to take their driving tests to get a driver’s license, but as a teen, they likely paid just enough attention to the information to pass. Discuss speed limits, traffic signs and how the right of way works in different situations. Remind them to always wear their seatbelt and to give driving their full attention every time they get on the road. 

Discuss the Dangers of Distracted Driving

While we often attribute distracted driving to cell phones, it’s nothing new. People eat while driving, blast music or get distracted by sights on the road. However, with mobile phones that allow people to text, talk on the phone, play games, use social media and more, there’s much more risk of driving distracted without realizing it. Talk to your teen about why eating or using their phone while driving can be dangerous. It only takes about 3 seconds of distraction to end up in a serious accident. 

Talk About Drug and Alcohol Use

No parent wants to think their teen is the one using drugs and drinking alcohol. However, that makes talking about it all the more important. Most teens will hide the fact that they drink or use drugs, or they’ll be pressured into it and feel guilty. Talk to your teen about the potential consequences of driving under the influence. Impaired judgment and slow reaction times can lead to life-altering accidents. Offer them a ride if they’re ever out and feel uncomfortable driving themselves. 

Provide Tips for Safe Driving

There’s more to safe driving than obeying traffic laws. While you’re out on the road with your teen, talk about defensive driving techniques, like maintaining a safe distance and anticipating hazards. Encourage your teen to get regular maintenance on their vehicle like oil changes and routine service, and help them schedule service visits if needed. Then, go back to the basics: remind them that they need to wear their seatbelt, stop at stop signs, slow down at speed bumps and look out for pedestrians. 

By learning how to navigate the road safely, your teen will be more empowered to enjoy the freedom of driving. At North Tampa Christian Academy, we encourage parents to be involved in this learning process. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

5 Benefits of Christian Education for Children

School is where children go to learn about academic subjects, but it can be a place to learn so much more. Christian schools teach children to be Christlike while they learn the lessons they need to learn to succeed in society. They do this by focusing on values and the gospel just as much as the fundamentals of education. Read on to learn about some of the many benefits of Christian education for children. 

Focus on Character Development

Schools with a Christian foundation teach with the philosophy that who a child becomes is as important as what they learn. Therefore, lessons and activities focus on how students can be the best versions of themselves. Teachers emphasize the importance of traits like honesty and kindness, relating these subjects to what students learn in the classroom. As a result, children have what they need to be good people as well as good students. 

Faith-filled Foundation

While Christian schools discuss faith in the classroom, they also provide faith development opportunities outside of the classroom. These can take place in the form of assemblies, individual Bible counseling and opportunities to serve the community. Students have plenty of room to incorporate faith into their lives. What they learn at school matters. 

Christianity-based Perspective

Christian religions focus on aspects of life like hope and love. While children can find love at public schools if they know where to look, they’re often surrounded by it at Christian schools. Looking at lessons through a faith-based lens allows students to put the subject matter and their faith into perspective. Learning about these qualities inside and outside of the classroom gives these students a unique outlook they can carry with them throughout their lives. 

Opportunities for Family Involvement

Along with faith-based values and perspectives, Christianity teaches the importance of family values. For that reason, Christian schools often encourage participation from all families. Some even require parents to volunteer their time to the school. Family involvement in children’s education sets them up for success and helps them gain the confidence they need to succeed. 

Emphasis on Serving Others

The benefits of Christian school go beyond the student. Students at these schools serve the community as part of the curriculum. Learning to serve others and becoming involved in the community helps children understand from a young age how they can contribute to the world around them. They continue to feel empowered to help others throughout their lives. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we offer more than a place for children to learn. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Fun Activities for Florida Families in the Winter

While Florida isn’t the first destination you may be thinking about for your family vacation, there’s plenty to do in the Sunshine State this time of year. Whether you’re looking for a warmer winter wonderland or something uniquely Florida, there are plenty of places you can go on a tankful of gas. These are some of the most unique family activities Florida has to offer during the winter. 

Swim with Manatees in Crystal River

As the weather changes, so do the habits of many different types of animals. Manatees, for example, can be seen roaming around Florida from around April to October, but when the weather starts to drop, they move to the springs where the temperature is more moderate. Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River is one of the best places to go see the manatees in the winter months. You can swim, snorkel or paddle alongside these majestic animals. No matter how you choose to navigate the manatee-filled waters, it’s sure to be a memorable experience for the whole family. 

Watch the Surfing Santas at Cocoa Beach

Florida is home to all kinds of peculiar sights, from the mermaids of Weeki Wachee to the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee. While some are permanent installations, some of the more unique ones can only be seen once a year. Every Christmas Eve starting at 8 a.m., hundreds of surfers dressed as Santa show off their surfing skills at Cocoa Beach. Families gather each year to enjoy the spectacle and participate in family friendly activities on the beach. 

Tour One of Many Florida Citrus Groves

Florida citrus is in peak season during the winter months. This makes it the perfect time to explore one of the state’s many citrus groves. If you want to pick your own fruit as a family when it’s the freshest it will be, there are plenty of places you can go. At citrus groves, you can often tour the space and see where your favorite fruits come from. Some of the most notable orange groves are The Orange Shop in Citra and Hancock Grove in Dade City. 

Enjoy the Snow at Pensacola Winterfest

Walking through a winter wonderland is always better with snow. Bring your family to Pensacola this winter, and your family will have the opportunity to experience artificial snow. Families with younger children will have plenty to do at Pensacola Winterfest, which offers plenty of family-friendly activities, including photo ops with Santa and the Grinch, a Polar Express Tour and more. 

We encourage our students to experience all Florida has to offer, especially during winter break. At North Tampa Christian Academy, we offer more than a place for children to learn. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Helping Your Child Reframe Mistakes as Learning Opportunities

Everyone makes mistakes. However, this doesn’t stop making mistakes from being an isolating experience, especially for children. While adults have years of experience making and recovering from mistakes, children are just starting this journey. As the trusted adult in your child’s life, you can help your child reframe their mistakes and make them into learning opportunities. Here are a few ways you can work together to transform mistakes into lessons. 

Show Empathy

When facing disappointment, the last thing anyone wants to be told is not to be disappointed. Sit with your child in their initial feelings on a perceived mistake. Talk through it, and help them figure out why it’s bothering them. Active listening shows your child that you care and that they can trust in you next time they make a mistake. 

Be a Role Model

Talk to your child about small mistakes you’ve made that are on the scale to what they’ve done. They might not understand that everyone makes mistakes. Even if they realize that no one’s perfect, they may not feel that way in the moment. If you talk about mistakes and the steps you took to overcome them, your child will learn about ways to do the same. 

Help Them Find the Lesson

Some lessons are simple. If your child fails a test, next time, they’ll have to study harder. Others require a little more exploration. When your child asks for your advice after making a mistake, help them navigate through it. Let them steer the conversation, and provide helpful input where they need it.

Focus on the Positive

It’s important to remain upbeat when your child makes a mistake, as difficult as that may be. Almost any mistake your child makes is not the end of the world, even if your child feels like it is in the moment. Look forward, and focus on what can be learned from the experience. This may mean taking a deep breath before you respond, or it could come naturally to help your child find the positive in the situation. 

Practice Coping Methods

Help your child learn about healthy ways to process their emotions. These skills will become crucial when they make a “world-ending” mistake. Talk about the benefits of coping methods such as talking it out, private journaling and going for a walk. The more tools your child has in their arsenal, the better prepared they will be for next time they need to turn a mistake into a life lesson. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we believe learning from mistakes is an important way for children to grow. Our school offers more than a place for children to learn. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.