It’s clear you are a tech savvy family, but you might be spending too much time looking at screens instead of connecting with one another. The World Health Organization suggests children under the age of 2 stay away from screens as much as possible and recommend no more than 60 minutes of screen time per day for children ages 2-4. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a limit of two hours a day of TV for children and teens.

Curious about other screen time recommendations for teenagers? Unfortunately, there isn’t much, but recent studies show teens who’ve spent an excessive amount of time on screens were twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Definitely food for thought, specifically in today’s digital world. 

Thinking about limiting screen time may feel like a difficult topic to broach with your family, but it can be done with a little preparation. Here’s what we recommend: 

• Connect with your partner (if you have one) to come up with some ideas for how to improve your family’s approach to screen time. 
• Prepare for a family council on the topic by listing your key concerns as well as specific questions you plan to ask your children.
• Have a family council. Invite your children to share their perspectives, concerns, and ideas. Write down their suggestions, and thank them for their input.
• Work with your partner to create a simple plan that addresses your key concerns. Try to use some of your children’s suggestions. 
• Share the plan with your children. Thoughtfully address any questions and concerns your children may have. 

Commit to sticking to the plan and remain open minded if/when you run into obstacles.

Congrats, screens don’t rule your household. We know that’s not an easy goal to achieve. So hats off to you for your consistent efforts. Depending on your child’s age, here are some things to keep in mind. The World Health Organization recommends little to no screen time for children under 2, no more than 60 minutes of screen time for children ages 2-4,, and less than two hours of TV for children and teens. As your children grow, staying a “healthy screen time family” will be more likely if you have device free zones or times (e.g., family dinner), encourage active time, generally avoid screens in bedrooms, eliminate background TV, and require devices to be charged outside your child’s bedroom at night.

If you do run into issues, follow these steps to get back on track: 

• -Connect with your partner (if you have one) to come up with some ideas for how to improve your family’s approach to screen time.  a plan that works best for your family. 
• -Prepare for a family council on the topic by listing your key concerns as well as specific questions you plan to ask your children. Document the plan in easy-to understand statements.
• -Have a family council. Invite your children to share their perspectives, concerns, and ideas. Write down their suggestions, and thank them for their input.
• -Work with your partner to create a simple plan that addresses your key concerns. Try to use some of your children’s suggestions. 
• -Share the plan with your children/teens. Thoughtfully address any questions and concerns your children may have. Be sure to include context behind the plan and speak transparently to “why” and “why now”.