Parents share 6 'genius' ways to cut down on kids' screen time

Teen girl on phone
-Credit:Getty Images


Many parents are at their wits' end with their children's screen addiction – so it's no surprise that many are feeling the strain. With Parent Mental Health Day landing on January 30 this year, the focus is firmly on #ScreenSmartParenting, highlighting the anxiety many parents feel about the influence of digital tech on their family's health.

"Inevitably, too much engagement on screens may lead to parents worrying about what their child or young person might be exposed to," notes Dr Nihara Krause, a consultant clinical psychologist and founder of stem4, the teen mental health charity behind Parent Mental Health Day. "There may be difficulty in gauging how screen time might be affecting children and young people, a lack of balance in terms of other activities, and a general feeling of not being in control."

Liat Hughes Joshi, author of 'How To Unplug Your Child', which hits the shelves in paperback from Vie Books on February 13 for £7.99, said: "When I talk to parents about the toughest issues they face with their children, screen time is top of the list for very many of them. In some families it’s a daily battleground, in others still a source of worry for parents."

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Dr Krause spoke to three mums and a dad, all with kids between 12-17 years old, to find out their strategies for cutting down screen time.

1. Understand their online world

Internet addiction in teenagers
Parents who understand the draw of mobile phones can better empathise with their kids -Credit:PA Wire/PA Images

One parent revealed that by participating in their child's online activities and games, they gained a deeper understanding of the challenges of limiting screen time. The parent explained: "I felt like if I couldn’t beat them, I would join them, and once I really understood what the draw was, I could then help them to learn to spend their time wisely."

2. Implement parental controls with your child's input

Krause notes that another parent found success by: "Limiting screen time with controls, but discussing why these limits were set, and reviewing them regularly."

3. Offer appealing alternatives

Rather than expecting children to abruptly stop excessive screen time, Krause suggests: "One parent felt they had to compete with limiting screen time by offering something extra and exciting, and although ultimately this took some arrangement in terms of schedules, they felt it contributed to enhanced communication and fun family activities." The parent observed: ‘It felt like everyone was together rather than pulling apart’.

4. Encourage negotiation and collaboration

A three-quarter length shot of a female teenager leaning up against red lockers in her school. She is on her phone looking down in disappointment wearing a full school uniform.
Discuss a screen-time schedule with your child directly -Credit:Getty

Krause recommends involving children in screen time decisions to foster harmony and avoid conflicts. "Set up collaboratively, based on the age of the child or young person or their vulnerabilities, structured use schedules. Monitor, negotiate and collaborate," she suggests.

5. Make bedrooms screen-free overnight

Hughes Joshi recommends charging phones downstairs at night as a staple habit for families. "This isn’t just about helping them relax before sleep, it’s also preventing that ‘must check my phone’ feeling as soon as they wake up," she notes.

6. Try to change your own attitude towards your child’s screen time

Hughes Joshi encourages parents to reconsider their stance on kids' screen usage. She elaborates: "Beyond what you try and change in your child’s device use, you can alter your reaction to all this. What can you do to relax more and get perspective to choose what does and doesn’t matter so much about it?"

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She acknowledges there may be parts of their child's tech habits that are not necessarily damaging but simply do not align with parent preferences. She said: "Can you turn a blind eye to that sort of thing and choose to pick your battles and focus only on trying to change the must-haves? You might prefer it if your child was reading a book or painting, and instead they’re scrolling on Instagram, but it might be better to let that go and focus on ensuring they’re using Instagram healthily and have perspective on what they look at."

She added: "None of this is easy. I’ve been there. I get it. But stand firm, be confident in what you’re trying to do, and it can make a difference."

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