Nurturing a Balanced Childhood without Screen Time
We’ve all seen them, heard of them, got extremely annoyed at them, and yes, we’re talking about the infamous “iPad kids.” Sunglasses on indoors, headphones bigger than their heads, swiping away on Subway Surfers while their fries get cold. They’re practically mascots for Gen Alpha.
The playground your parents used to take you to? For them, it’s the App Store. They don’t holler through the streets anymore; they have endless entertainment at their fingertips, but that isn’t childhood. Childhood is meant to be messy and imaginative, not a swipe-fest, collecting coins online.
The Blueprint of a South Asian Childhood
Let’s be real: keeping a kid away from screens today feels almost Herculean. But here’s the good news — the cure for your little screen zombie doesn’t need a subscription or a fancy app. Forget the Play Store. The blueprint for a balanced, joyful childhood has been hiding in plain sight all along… right in our own culture.
For centuries, South Asian traditions have quietly schooled us in the art of unplugged living. Storytelling circles in Urdu, backyard cricket, folk dances, and neighborhood games they’re all lessons in creativity, movement, and connection. You just have to look up from the screen long enough to notice.
From the streets of Karachi to the narrow lanes of Delhi, kids have claimed the streets as their playground. The indistinct chatter of friends debating how to split an uneven nine into teams, the high-pitched whoops of patangbaazi (kite fighting), or the gentle hiding giggles of luka-chuupi (hide and seek) and cho-cho, there was always something to do, some adventure to chase. And somewhere in those simple games, childhood happened, loud and entirely unplugged.
Encouraging Creativity
It’s easy to put into a subtitle, but not that simple in real life. Creativity is the soul of childhood, and here’s what you should do instead of handing over your kid a tablet;
Gift your child a notebook, crayons, or allot them an art wall and some erasable markers, and watch them turn it into their own canvas. You don’t need all four walls to be plastered with the same wallpaper anyway. Moreover, remember not to let the spirit of jugaad (resourcefulness) dwindle this easily; it fuels creativity far more than flashy digital toys. Remember how many of us made dollhouses out of shoeboxes or cricket bats from a piece of wood? Children are nothing short of magicians within their minds, so let them design and create as they please!
Make Ludo Nights Great Again!
Before video games, there were ludo, carrom, chess, and snakes and ladders, all the desi classics that teach patience, critical thinking, and teamwork. Not only are they fun, but they’re also a beautiful way to connect across generations. Why deprive your children of the core memory that is flipping the board when losing in Ludo?
So, by having designated family board game nights, you keep children engaged and away from the screen for hours on end. Because honestly, it’s pretty boring when you play UNO online, without your customized rules and the thrill of chaining down your opponent with a +4.
Rediscover the Magic of Stories
Next up: swap those cartoons with stories! South Asia is rich in folktales and children’s literature, and creates a cozy corner where books are always within reach. And instead of bedtime YouTube videos, try family storytelling nights, where nani or dadi passes down tales in Urdu, Hindi, or Punjabi, or whatever strings the cords of your heart.
Here are some classics for your storytelling nights!
Let your imagination run wild, because screens can wait. But your childhood cannot.
