Kids falling behind as parents treat 'iPads as pacifiers'

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes KEY TAKEAWAYS

Preschool teachers in Utah limit screen time, citing negative impacts on children.

Utah officials promote Family Connection Week to encourage reduced screen time.

Excessive screen use linked to developmental delays and emotional issues in children.

SALT LAKE CITY — If Tami Larsen could go back in time, the preschool teacher of 20 years said she'd have fiercer limits on her own children's screen time. She places strong limits now at Miss Tami's Preschool, where screens are used only rarely and then always interactively and for an educational reason.

Jody Zabriskie's A to Z Building Blocks preschool and child care facilities don't use screens at all. She said that sometimes greatly frustrates the parents who do use them.

Both child care p