Your guide to screen time

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Screen time is a fact of life these days. And certainly the internet offers lots of great opportunities for kids to learn, have fun and stay connected to friends and family. But most of us have days when we’ve struggled to unglue them from their screens at some point, whether that’s phones and tablets, computer games or the telly. Here are some ideas for getting the most out of screen time, and some tips from parents on getting the kids off their screens and into the real world.

Making the most of screen time

There are lots of benefits to children for spending time online, from discovering new things to keeping in touch with granny! One of the best ways for your little one to get the most out of screen time is watching high-quality programmes with you – and in small doses. Screen time can provide opportunities for language development, and can inspire their imagination and start some great games, but try not to rely too much on it as a childminder, or use it to send your child off to sleep, as looking at a screen before bedtime can actually make it harder to sleep.

There are some really good programmes and apps out there, so choose what your child’s going to use (with your tot’s help, once they’re able to show a preference) and, if possible, sit down together to watch or play. For example, you could take a look at CBeebies or check out the Family Gaming Database or the National Literacy Trust's Literacy Apps to find games and apps suitable for the age of your child that can help spark their imagination.

When it’s over, switch off the screen. However ‘educational’ a children’s programme or app is – and many are very useful – they're not the same as interaction with you by talking and looking at books or pictures together.

As your child gets older, you’ll need to be firm about screen times. Our section on online safety has tips for talking to your child about staying safe and setting boundaries for using their devices.

When you do switch on the screen, follow the 8 useful hints here.

8 tips to help your child get the most out of screen time

Tip #1: Talk together as you watch

Chat with your child about what's happening on the screen. Point out interesting things, and wonder aloud what might happen next. After viewing, talk about what you've seen and what you liked.

Tip #2: Expand on their viewing

Give your child the chance to take things further by encouraging them to play games based on what they’ve seen. You could provide props, such as a tea towel for a cloak, or make a cardboard crown.

Tip #3: A time and a place

Set rules about when and where your child can use devices like tablets and phones. Don’t have screens on at mealtimes (this goes for you too!) and try to keep them out of the bedroom before bedtime, as looking at screens can make it harder to get to sleep.

Tip #4: Use parental controls

Use parental controls and filters on your home internet, devices, phone networks and online services. Our page on protecting your child online has information on setting these up.

Tip #5: Keep an eye on small children when they're online

It’s always best to supervise small kids when they’re online, in case they accidentally stumble across something which could worry, upset or confuse them. Our page on online safety has advice on what to do if your child is upset by something they discover.

Tip #6: Try not to use screen time to reward or punish

If your children are acting up or breaking the rules, it’s tempting to take away tablets or phones as a punishment. However, this may make screen time seem even more desirable! Instead, try to talk to them about their behaviour. There are lots of tips on our pages on coping with being a parent to help with this.

Tip #7: Turn off screens when you're not watching and play instead

It’s easy to keep the TV turned on all day for the background chatter, but try to turn it off if you’re not actually watching it. And turn it off at least one hour before bedtime.

Tip #8: Be picky

With so many channels on TV and choices on streaming services, not to mention the billions of videos available on sites like YouTube, the choice of what to watch can seem overwhelming. Try to choose high-quality programmes which have positive messages and are age appropriate. For example, CBeebies is great for wee ones, while CBBC will suit older children.

Likewise with apps and computer games – the Family Gaming Database and National Literacy Trust's Literacy Apps can help you here. Some games (like Minecraft or games that help children learn to code) can help them develop new skills, while others (like sport or dance games) can even help them keep active.

Tips for getting them off their screens

We all need time to relax and be entertained and that goes for kids too. Screen time can entertain, inspire, give your child a chance for some quiet time – and give you a bit of a break from non-stop activity. But just as a diet of nothing but junk food is bad, large doses of poor quality screen time can lead to weight problems and prevent children giving their full attention to more important things, like learning to talk.

If you’re concerned that your kids are spending too much time glued to their devices, here are some tips for unsticking them. You can find more ideas here.

Tips to help limit their time online

Tip #1: It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen

The first thing you need to know when you want to wean your kids off their devices is that it can take a little patience.

Try to think of it like toilet training – it takes time, ups and downs, team work, a sense of humour and lots of encouragement.

And toilet training was worth it for a life without nappies, right? Think of a world where your child actually hears you when you say their name, doesn’t act up as much, and plays outside! Amazing.

Tip #2: Keep them busy

If you’ve ever lost your phone, you’ll know how strange it feels to suddenly be without it. Your kid will be feeling the same thing when they're going from screen-life to real life.

The key is to distract, distract, distract. You need to swap out their device for something that’s fun. Luckily, what kids love the most is spending time with you. We have loads of ideas for screen-free activities.

Tip #3: Put your phone away

One of the best things to do is to lead by example. You’re the main influence in your child’s life, so why not put your phone away and play a game together instead? You can find lots of fun ideas here.

Tip #4: Mix up their routines

If your kids are glued to the screen, a good idea to wean them off is to do fun things that take them completely away from their devices – like running around at the park or going on a treasure hunt to find everything in your neighbourhood that starts with the letter R. You can find lots more ideas for outdoor fun here.

If it's raining outside, you can do things like asking if they can draw a picture of their favourite animal, or their best day ever. Here are some more ideas for indoor fun.

Tip #5: Chores galore

Sometimes the kids are on the screens because we need to get on with things around the house. A sneaky trick to kill two birds with one stone is to ask them to help you – our page on getting help with the chores has tips to help you manage this.

Tip #6: Make meal times device-free zones

If you get a chance during the week, try to have a meal together. It doesn’t have to be a big deal – even a bowl of cereal or a sandwich is enough! Make your meals device-free zones and talk with each other about your days. We have loads of cheap and kid-friendly recipes they’ll love. If you want to know what you can ask your child to do in the kitchen, we've got tips here.

Tip #7: Swap the iPad for a Play Bag

One way to keep them busy and happy when you’re out and about is to swap out the iPad for a “special bag” of fun things they can play with. It might be stickers, paper, pens, small cars, Lego people, or card games for older kids. You can get them to help you choose what goes in it so it includes some of their favourite toys.

If you want something that's ready to go, the Scottish Book Trust’s Bookbug bags have lots of free things that will keep them happy while you're out and about. You can find out more about the Bookbug bags on the Scottish Book Trust website.

Tip #8: Make bedtime storytime

Snuggling up to read a book together at night helps get them into a routine and gives you both some time to unwind.

It’s a good idea to keep devices out of their room at night – it will only keep them awake and make them grumpy the next day. If possible, try to stop them looking at their screens for at least an hour before bedtime. You can find more tips for story time here.

Tip #9: Make family time fun

Put your tech away and have a family games nights. These games don’t cost a thing! The more fun they have without their devices, the less they’ll keep nagging at you for them.

Tip #10: Set a countdown

One way to reduce the chances of your kid going into monster mode when you take their device away is to set some family rules. That includes a time limit. Here's how to do that:

Tell your kids how long they’ve had and count down until the time is up.
Try not to give in and let them spend longer. If they know that you won’t budge, eventually they’ll stop kicking up a fuss.
Bonus tip: Focus on the activity that comes after the screen time so that your child isn’t getting more and more wound up: for example, 5 minutes until we’re going to the park!

Tip #11: Keep your cool

We’ve all been there – they know their time is up, but they still have a strop when you try to take their screen away. It’s okay to feel frustrated when that happens.

Sometimes it pays to take a big deep breath before you do anything. And try to look at it from their point of view, if someone came along and took your phone away, you might feel a bit grumpy too!

It’s fine to give yourself 5 minutes for both of you to calm down a bit, and come back to it when you feel like you can deal with it.

When you feel calmer, let them know you understand they’re upset. Give them a hug and move on to the next activity to distract them from “screen withdrawal”.

Here are some more tips from parents on dealing with those huffs and puffs.

How much screen time is too much?

You’re the expert on your child – you’ll probably already know how much screen time is too much for them. And it’s not just about the amount of time they spend on screens, but what they’re doing – video calling grandpa can never be a bad thing! Like all things, try to keep a balance between screen-based activities and offline play, exercise and plenty of fresh air.

From the parents

"My top tip would be that your kids don’t always have to be constantly entertained! They will find something to do that lets them use their imagination and creativity." – Kirsty

"I find screens make behaviour way worse than it should be! Having a variety of games you can play together can help." – Sarah

Staying safe online

Our section on online safety has lots more information on how to help keep your children safer online.