Paws & Notice

Together, watch this video in which Wes, Elmo, and their dads, Elijah and Louie, practice being aware of how they feel when using media and how they know it’s time to take a break. It’s important to help children understand how they feel when using media and when our bodies give us signals that we’ve been on a screen for too long.

For Wes’s dad, who’s scrolling videos at school pick-up time, the act of noticing helps him remember to be present for one of his favorite times of the day — seeing Wes after school! For Elmo, a little encouragement from Louie helps him stop, breathe, and pay attention to how he’s feeling.   

Then, when the four of them are playing a video game together, they demonstrate the strategy. (You can try to “stop, breathe, and pay attention” yourself any time! When using media —perhaps scrolling — stop to notice how you’re feeling, and consider if media is making it harder to be mindful, such as when new videos start playing automatically rather than your choosing them.  

You might reflect: How do I feel using this? How is it helpful for me in this moment? Am I connecting with myself or my child? How much longer do I want to be on screen?  

You might sing this part of the song any time you want to encourage children to stop and take a breath! Then you can practice the “stop, breathe, and pay attention” strategy together.   

Sometimes we gotta stop and take a breath.  

See how we feel and choose what to do next!