I Screen, You Screen, We All Need To Less Screen
It sounds counterintuitive, but summer schedules can sometimes be even more chaotic than those during the school year. Bedtimes are later, some days are a free-for-all, and other days you find yourself shuttling between various camps and activities. Everyone is tempted to veg in front of the TV, the Xbox, a phone or a tablet.
Yes, we know we’re addicted to our phones. And yes, we also know lots of screen time isn’t good for us or for our kids. So what are we supposed to do about all this when it’s hot, everyone’s cranky, or we’ve run out of ideas to keep people entertained?
How do you keep your kids from becoming glassy-eyed screen monsters all summer? Read on for some simple tips, and a super-handy download!
They’re Watching
Let’s face it: our kids learn by example. They’re always watching and mimicking us, whether we and they realize it or not. Much the same way that our kids learn how to eat, how to exercise, and how to generally care for their bodies by watching what we as parents do, they do the same with our screen usage.
For instance, how many times do your kids try to talk to you, but your face is buried in your phone…and then you get frustrated with them when they’re playing video games and don’t give you their full attention? I’m totally guilty of that one!
If we want to help our kids have healthy screen habits, we have to start with ourselves.
Less Screen Time Tip 1: Phones
Keep your phone in a different room. Remember when phones were on the wall, not in your pocket? (Anyone?) If it rang, you ran downstairs to grab it or you missed the call. It wasn’t the end of the world. If it was super important, they’d call back. It’s tempting to feel like we have to respond to every text and notification right away, but really, if something is that urgent, you’ll likely get multiple calls until you pick up.
Show your kids that you can be disconnected from your device. If this is a struggle for you, pick one day a week to start doing this. I like to leave my phone on top of a cabinet in the dining room. It’s charging, it’s harder to see, and if it rings someone will hear it and tell me.
If your kids have phones, invite them to join you in this! Make it a family challenge. If you’re the competitive type, consider turning it into a game based on the lowest “digital health” usage numbers at the end of a day or week.
If you don’t already have this as a rule, I also highly recommend banning phones from the table. When we’re eating, we should be focused on eating and not distracted by technology. I’ll have to do a whole separate blog post on the value of mindful eating!
Less Screen Time Tip 2: TVs & Tablets
Create some boundaries (and enforce them). When it’s hot outside it can be extra tempting to stay in the house glued to the TV all day. Once the kids are finally in bed, it can be tempting for us to stay up way too late to binge a favorite show just because we finally have peace and quiet.
Choosing one day a week where the TV is off limits (for everyone!) is one option. Anyone else grow up with “screen free Sundays”?
Another helpful boundary is setting time limits. Perhaps screens are allowed every day, but only at certain times of the day or for a certain amount of time. Our kids know they get 20 minutes on the computer or so many episodes on Netflix. I use app timers on my phone that lock me out after 30 minutes and when I’m watching a show, I keep it to two episodes at a time.
I know some families shut off the WI-FI after certain hours or have rules about phones and tablets not being allowed in bedrooms. Screens and sleep is another post I’ll have to write!
Whatever your family situation is, be sure that you have some tech boundaries in place as well as the consequences for when those boundaries are breached.
Less Screen Time Tip 3: Alternate Activities
Plan alternate activities. For adults, when we aren’t looking up directions, finding a recipe or doing other necessary things with screens, we’re often picking them up or turning them on because we’re bored or want a distraction. The same goes for our kids. Especially during the summer when boredom is common (not a bad thing!), it can be tempting to let screens fill that gap.
Again, we have to start with ourselves here. What are some things you know you should probably do before playing Wordle or watching the newest Bridgerton episode? Turn on a YouTube workout? Load the dishwasher? Throw in a load of laundry? Take a shower? Bring the kids to the library? If you like checklists, consider making a list for yourself of things you want to do each day before you give yourself some “zone out” time in front of a screen.
Having a checklist works well for kids, too! Last summer we instituted screen time checklists for our 3 kids. While they were resistant at first, I know they played outside, read more books, and helped keep the house clean far more than they would have if we didn’t have the check lists. This year, I updated them with a “column A/column B” approach for a little more flexibility. It’s been such a huge hit with our kids, I made a version that you can save and edit to fit your family. Check it out!👇🏻
I hope these tips are helpful to you and to your family as you try to cut back on some screens this summer (or any time of the year, really). If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my emails so you don’t miss any future blog posts (like those ones that’ll be upcoming about mindful eating and sleep)!
