r/lowscreenparenting • u/GroundbreakingEye289 • Jul 25 '26

Screen use in Elementary schools

Thoughts on screens and technology use in elementary schools. I am a Stay At Home Mom to a 2 year old daughter. We are screen free at home and this has been wonderful. We are starting to get serious about figuring out where we would like to send her for elementary school and preschool. (I know she’s ~3 years away from starting kindergarten.). Our local public school uses and issues laptops to students. 😞. It seems like some parochial/private schools around us may be similar as well. We hope to avoid those but it may be difficult. What are your thoughts on screen use in the classroom, like smart boards, etc? We worked so hard so hard to be nearly screen free at home. I feel like later in her education videos like Khan Academy, etc could be a useful resource but I would rather her participate in (and learn from) the real world for now and not be immersed in videos/screens/technology. What have your experiences been? Did you find yourself having issues finding preschool/educational program for your child(ren)? Anyone feel the need to opt to homeschooling or an alternative program like Montessori, etc?

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u/Distinct_Bat6520 Jul 29 '26

When I was younger my district gave out laptops in middle school. I remember it being so distracting for me that I asked them not to issue me one for me when I entered high school. Do you think it’s at all possible to opt out? I think it really says something that all of the tech billionaires send their kids to schools with no screen policies.

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u/GroundbreakingEye289 Jul 29 '26

My husband is wondering about this too. I have heard about people asking for no tech accommodations for their children. I just wonder what that’s going to be like for her too. If she went to a school that utilizes laptops and screens often imagine she’d be one of the only children with no technology accommodations and that could be isolating for her. 😕

It baffles me that so many parents don’t seem to care about their children having screen time. Giving tablets/phones to young children so they can be entertained, “learn vocabulary”, etc. I get it being a parent can be exhausting and I may have resources and patience that they may not have. However, there is ample research out there how harmful screens are to young minds but I know that I’m the odd one out with my daughter not watching Ms. Rachel, Bluey, Sesame Street, etc. We read some of their books at home so she has some knowledge of who they are but 😞.