Limit your children’s time on their screens

If it’s not the television, it’s the laptop or tablet or the cell phone. Our children spend so much time on their screens and this can often come in the way of a productive and fruitful life. How do you ensure that your child gets a much-needed break, away from their screens, if it interferes with family time, homework and other responsibilities?

Help your kid manage their screen time

We live in a highly technological age and advanced devices are accessible and all around the house. Teens and tweens may sulk when you limit their screen time but it has to be done to strike a balance. You must set the rules in your home on when they can access and use the screens at their disposal. Here are techniques that are effective in limiting screen time:

Help kids find space for face-to-face conversations

Encourage your children to put away their devices during meal times and car rides so that you can have conversations to connect with them. Don’t allow meals to be had in the company of the television as well. Sit in a quiet area and bond with your child and find out their concerns and challenges in life.

Model the manners and behaviour you want to see

Lead by example. You can’t say to your children they can’t use their devices but be constantly be on your one. If you are in the car and you are using your phone, explain to them why you are using your device. Is it for directions to where you are going? Is it related to an emergency? They will know that you use your device only when necessary. Make sure to excuse yourself if you have to interrupt a family moment to attend to your phone.

Charge kids’ phones in your room at night

Children might want to take their phones to bed and interact with them before they fall asleep. This is not a good idea. Get them used to the idea that bed time is especially for relaxing and that they must charge their phones in your room. Removing their phones can give kids a needed break.

Establish consequences for problematic phone use

If your child doesn’t stick to the rules, you can take away the phones until their behaviour is in order. Kids need to understand that a phone is a privilege and not a right and you are in control as a parent. Punish bad behaviour and reward good behaviour.  

Download Family Link

You can keep a watch on your kids’ activities on their phone by linking your device to theirs. Google has an app called Family Link, where you can keep tabs on what they consume online and how much time they spend on there. You can also track where their devices are. The best feature is that you can limit their screen time and set times for when they can access their device.

Set aside for television

Strike a balance between homework, studying and watching TV by creating a schedule for your kids to follow every day. Limit TV time to an hour a day and to two to three hours a day on the weekend.

Encourage exercise

You can’t be raising couch potatoes so make sure you encourage your kids to engage in some form of physical activity – away from their device. This can be through playing outside or talking walks. They can even tag along when you go on your regularly walks around the block