Struggling with a good screen time schedule for your kids? You’re not alone!
A common guideline for screen time is as follows:
- 6-8 years: 30 minutes at a time, up to 1 hour per day.
- 8-10 years: maximum 1 to 1.5 hours per day.
- 10-12 years: maximum 2 hours per day.
- 12 years and older: maximum 3 hours per day.
Set rules together
These guidelines apply to all screens. The first smartphone of your child will add a(nother) screen with unlimited options. So be aware to set rules about screen time (again). You can even set a maximum time for each app, if you want to balance or limit the usage during a day. In our app you can find how to install this per app in our App Guide.
But how would this play out on a typical day? This remains complex, as kids with phones often want to check their messages before school. Our advice is not to outright ban this. It’s better for them to spend five minutes at home doing this than to do so dangerously while cycling to school. However, it’s important to keep this limited.
Aside from the total time your child spends on screens, it’s crucial to pay attention to their eyes and posture. Two hours hunched over a phone or tablet, even if it’s within the day’s screen limit, is definitely unhealthy. A good rule of thumb is the 20-20-2 rule: 20 minutes of screen time, followed by a 20-second break where they look into the distance, and 2 hours of outdoor play every day.
And then there’s the question of sleep—should the phone be allowed in the bedroom? 😴 Opinions on this are quite decisive: no phones in the bedroom. Make it a habit to put the phone in sleep mode and leave it behind at a designated spot in the living room one hour before bedtime. This can be tricky to put into practice, but it’s a rule worth enforcing. Your kids will thank you for it later—just like with many other parenting decisions.
p.s. Be aware that the most important part of being able to have a happy & healthy online life still depends on how they spend their time online. So keep having conversations about this together!
