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Re: Supporting Parents and Reducing Pressures Linked to Young Children’s Screen Use
As a constituent and a member of the National Council of Women of Great Britain (NCWGB), I am writing to express my concern about the growing pressures facing parents of young children in managing the use of electronic tablets and other digital devices.
While digital tools can be valuable for learning, there is now clear evidence that excessive or unsupervised use can harm children’s development affecting attention, language, and social skills. Many parents report struggling to set healthy limits and feeling stressed or guilty about their children’s screen time. The cumulative effect is felt not only within families but also in classrooms, communities, and the wider economy.
At the same time, relationship-based parenting where carers build strong, responsive relationships with their children is shown to be one of the most effective ways to support emotional, social, and cognitive growth in the early years. However, many families do not have access to the skilled, practical help they need to do this.
I therefore support NCWGB’s call for the Government to:
- Expand funding beyond Family Hubs to ensure that all families, regardless of postcode, can access high-quality parenting support.
- Invest in training and retaining skilled practitioners who can deliver evidence-based, relationship-focused support.
- Provide clear public information and guidance to help parents make balanced, developmentally appropriate decisions about children’s screen use.
These measures would not only support parents and improve children’s wellbeing but also benefit schools, communities, and the economy. Research from The Royal Foundation (2024) suggests that greater investment in early childhood could add over £45 billion a year in value to the UK economy by improving wellbeing, productivity, and social outcomes.
I would be very grateful if you could raise this issue with the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing or the Secretary of State for Education, and support policies that expand early years and family support services nationally.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I would welcome your views and any information on what action the Government is taking to support parents in managing children’s digital use.