Parenting
a family planScreen Time
Telling a child to "get off the phone" fifty times a day tires everyone. A screen-time plan made together, written down and followed by the adults too, works far better than daily arguments.
Agree on the rules together
Sit down as a family and decide three things: how much time, at what times of the day, and in which rooms. Rules that children help to write are rules they actually keep. Write them down and stick the sheet where everyone can see it.
A simple starting point
- Under 6 years: about 30 minutes a day, always with a parent nearby
- 6 to 12 years: up to an hour on school days, a little more on weekends
- Teenagers: agreed times, with phones charged outside bedrooms overnight
Screen-free zones and times
The dining table and bedrooms are the two places where screens do the most harm, to conversation and to sleep. Keep both screen-free. Switch off all screens an hour before bedtime; the light from a screen makes it harder to fall asleep.
Fill the time with something better
Taking away a screen without offering anything else leaves a bored, grumpy child. Keep board games, art supplies, a football and library books within easy reach. Children who are busy with something they enjoy rarely ask for the phone.
Adults go first
Children do what we do, not what we say. If parents scroll at dinner, children will too. Follow the family plan yourself, and say so out loud: "I'm putting my phone away now, it's family time."
Parents also ask
Does the school use screens in class?
Yes, smart boards and the computer lab are used for short, planned activities. Most learning is still hands-on.
Are phones allowed in school?
Students up to Class VIII may not bring phones. Older students hand them in at the start of the day and collect them at home time.
Is coding screen time?
Coding and robotics in the lab are active, creative work, which is very different from watching videos.
