Hopefully, you’ve heard the news on how addictive and harmful screen time can be for kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that young children should have no screen time at all. That’s right, none! There is a lot of research to support this recommendation, but it’s so counter-culture that many parents still aren’t ready to accept the message – until now. We are living in a new world where digital dangers are more evident than ever before. From cyberbullying to FOMO, there are countless risks of excessive screen time from social media apps and other connected devices. To help you protect your child from these potential hazards, here are some essential tips on how to turn off screen time with a passcode and tips on how to cut down your kid’s screen time without making them hate you forever.
How To Turn Off Screen Time With A Passcode?
- If you’re looking for a way to limit your child’s screen time, the first step is to take control of your own. You can do this by turning off your own phone and setting a timer on your computer to remind you to get up and move around every 20 minutes.
- Set daily screen time limits for yourself and stick with them. The AAP recommends limiting screen time for children under 2 years old to zero hours per day, and kids aged 2-5 should have no more than an hour per day. This might not sound like much, but it’s actually a lot! If you have older kids, enforce the same rules.
- Consider using parental controls on devices in your home. This will allow you to set limits on how long children can use devices each day, and also allows you to block certain apps or features that might be harmful to children.
- Make sure all screens are out of sight at night. Kids should not be using screens at all before bedtime, and if they are using them, they should be out of sight. You might have to move the TV to another room if you don’t have a TV stand or something so that it’s out of sight.
- If you have kids who are old enough to understand why screen time is bad, then consider talking to them about it and having them help you enforce limits. This will help them buy into the idea that they can still enjoy technology but in a healthy way that doesn’t interfere with their sleep or other activities.
- Turn off the WiFi at night! This is a great way to prevent children from sneaking into their devices after the lights go out. If the WiFi isn’t on, then there is no internet access for kids unless you turn it back on again in the morning.
- Get your kids involved with other activities! Find things for your child’s sight.
Establish Screen-Free Rituals
Start early.
Even if you don’t want to go full screen-free, it’s never too early to start instilling good habits. Establish screen-free rituals such as dinner, bath time, and bedtime. These are some of the most important times of the day for family bonding without the distraction of phones and tablets.
Make it a social experience.
It’s easy to put your phone away when you’re out at dinner with friends or on a date night with your partner, but what about your kids? It can be hard to get them to use their time wisely when they don’t have an incentive or reason to do so. Offer rewards or encourage them to complete chores in exchange for extra screen time after dinner or a special movie night together that doesn’t involve any screens at all! Make sure that your kids understand that there are plenty of other activities they can enjoy together as a family.
Set a bedtime.
One of the easiest ways to reduce screen time is to set a bedtime and stick to it! If you have kids that are in school, make sure they get plenty of sleep so they can focus in class. For younger kids, try setting an earlier bedtime and work your way up to later as they get older. Before you know it, your little one will be off the screens and in dreamland with no issues at all!
Make it fun!
If your child doesn’t use their devices for the first hour or two of waking up, then chances are they won’t reach for them at all before lunchtime either! Try waking up early with them and giving them something fun to do together before you both start using your phones or tablets for any reason. This could be anything from playing board games together to reading a book aloud as a family, whatever works best for your situation bedtimes for naps and nighttime. Naptime is a great time to get some extra bonding time with your kids, and nighttime is when the real bonding happens!
Set Screen Time Limits & Establish Rules
Pick a time limit
Decide how much screen time your child can have per day. If this is their first time, start with 30 minutes and work your way up to an hour. It’s also a good idea to include other activities in their daily schedule, such as reading books and playing outside.
Set rules
Before you implement any rules, make sure you have the right equipment for monitoring their screen time. You’ll need a smartphone or tablet that has a passcode lock so you can control when they use it and what they see while they’re on it. As far as rules go, here are some guidelines: no texting or messaging while watching TV; no social media apps; and no games that encourage violence or gambling (like poker). In addition to these rules, there are some apps that parents should keep tabs on (more on this later).
Keep track of screen time limits with a stopwatch app
If you want to be extra strict about your child’s screen time, consider using a stopwatch app on your phone or tablet. These apps are great for tracking how much time your child spends on their device, so you can see if they are exceeding their limit. If they do exceed the limit, you can set an alarm to remind them to stop and get off the screen.
Set a bedtime with no screen time at all
Set a bedtime that’s 2-3 hours before the start of school or work in the morning. This will give them plenty of time to get ready for school, but not enough time to spend on their devices before they go to sleep. Additionally, it will give them some alone time in the evening so they can relax and unwind before bedtime. This is a good way to help them fall asleep as well as reduce stress levels from too much screen time during the day.
Tips For Limiting Your Kid’s Screen Time Without Making Them Hate You
Start Early
The best way to set healthy screen time limits is to start early. The AAP recommends that children under the age of 2 should have no screen time at all. This is important because early exposure can develop into a pattern that’s hard to break later in life. For example, if your child watches TV for an hour each day, they will develop a habit of watching TV for an hour each day. If you are able to break this habit early on, it will be easier to limit their screen time as they get older and face more distractions from peers and other activities.
Take Away Their Device When They’re Not Using It
If you have a family plan with your mobile carrier and/or internet provider, you can set up parental controls so that your child’s device automatically turns off when no one is using it. You can also use the same settings to prevent them from downloading new apps and playing games – this will help you to avoid the temptation of giving in when they beg for more screen time.
Set Up Parental Controls on Their Device
If you don’t have a family plan, or if you do and your child has figured out how to turn off their settings, you can limit their screen time using the settings on their device. This is an easy way to make sure that they aren’t playing games or watching videos when they should be doing homework or chores. You can also set time limits on specific apps so that they can only use them for a few minutes each day.
Conclusion
When it comes to protecting your children, safeguarding their health, and promoting their well-being, there is a no more important task that you can undertake than limiting screen time. For the sake of your child’s health and well-being, it’s essential to reduce your kid’s screen time. That’s why it’s important to put these tips into action and start cutting down on screen time today.
