How Do Other Parents Successfully Limit Screen Time?

Setting limits on a child’s screen time is by itself a rather easy task. Coming up with a schedule or time limits may be complicated, but it can be done without much stress.

The hard part is enforcing those limits. If your child reacts with anger, panic, boredom, or depression the moment they lose access to a screen device, the limits you so carefully crafted can go right out the window. The strain on the family created by a child’s emotional withdrawal from screen time may not seem worth it, but while these reactions can last hours or days, the consequences of excessive screen time may last years.

What are other parents doing to make this work? We explored this question in the AskParents subreddit. Here are some of the answers we found:

When they realize you’re not giving in…

From picklesandwine4me:

“We haven’t limited it a ton. But we’ve noticed in the winter it’s been increased so we’ve made efforts to cut back recently. Their biggest gripe is ‘i’m bored’ so we tell them to use their imagination. Or I will list a bunch of things to try instead and they will say no to all of it so I will say then you can go clean your room. That’s usually enough for them to find something to do. When they are bored enough and realize we’re not giving in they eventually get creative and we’ve seen some pretty neat play and buildings created during these times. So basically just ignoring the bad behavior and refusing to give in.”

From iwasthen:

“Give them other things to do. Help teach them what their options are.”

Insist they be calm about it, or they get even less screen time

From redgears:

“We’ve specifically made screen time contingent on being able to calmly stop using screens. If there’s a fit, he doesn’t get screens for the next day. We remind him about this when it’s a minute or two before he needs to be done, and that seems to work well, especially because we follow through on the rule.”

Make homework and chores the priority

From enjoyoutdoors:

“We are making a point of not having specific time frames. Mostly because we don’t feel we need it, but also because it seems a bit weird to restrict her screen time when I’m a gamer myself and sometimes overdo it a bit too. I mean, some days it’s raining sideways and it’s an excellent opportunity to play games all day long. Some days it’s sunny and awesome weather and seems dumb to blind out the sunshine to be able to see the screen at all. The important thing is that homework and chores have priority.”

Be a role model

From jaimacho:

“Model the behavior you want to see. If you want them to spend less time on screens, you need to do that. In addition, physically blocking them from the screens helps too. My girls’ tablets are in my office and they are not allowed in there so they can’t just help themselves. In addition, we don’t allow them to control the TV.”

If they don’t follow the rules, they get less screen time

From NewWhirledOrder:

“Let them know they have X amount of time per day/week to use these devices. See if they will follow the rules on their own but if they don’t then take them away from them for a day or however long you feel is fair. Tell them to do something else. Go outside, draw, read a book, arts and crafts etc… Ask them if they have any ideas of their own as to what they would want to do.”

Set the rules and stick to them

From addocd:

1. You are the boss. Set the rules and stick to them. If you can’t consistently enforce any rules or guidelines, just remove the screens from the environment.
2. Do the same thing. Check yourself to make sure you are not also always stuck in your own device. (I have caught myself many times.)
3. Be prepared for them to get on your nerves something fierce.
4. Revel in the satisfaction of seeing your kids play dominoes and hide & go seek.

Allow for screen time after a hard day

From keywest2030:

“I’m a teacher and an introvert. After being in school all day long I can’t wait to get home and sit on Reddit. I found this to be true with my quiet high schooler as well. He needed that hour of screen time to decompress after being in the bustle all day. Would you consider changing the order? Allow him an hour (or until dinner time…) to decompress from the day? Then worry about sports, homework, chores. Maybe if he has that guaranteed chunk of time he won’t constantly be drawn to it.”

A month without screens could be the best month you have together

From inanutshellus:

“Anecdotally, a friend was marveling this morning. His son (~10) has been grounded for the last month from electronics. He said it’s been the best month he’s had with his son in ‘forever.’ They built a picnic table together because he wanted to do it. Last night he asked to help change a flat tire. They’ve spent the last month playing and creating together. The dad was dreading the month being over and it all going to go back to normal.”