Want to set limits for screen time use? FREE printable screen time rules checklist for kids to encourage fun activiites before earning screen time.
Screen Time Rules Checklist for Kids
We live in a world where access to devices, and information is readily available. This can be a great thing, but it’s also a bad thing. Especially for kids, and also for parents who don’t want their kids glued to a screen all the time.
In the last decade, screen time on tablets, gaming, watching movies and television, using phones and other devices, has replaced more traditional childhood activities like you and I, as adults, likely experienced.
Studies showthat today’s children spend less time outside and engage in less physical activity than previous generations.
Recently, theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics issued a recommendationurging doctors to prescribe playtime to children. They cited screen time as one key reason children are playing less and value the importance of physical activity, family connection and getting outdoors.
Technology and structured “free time” has replaced playing in the backyard, riding bikes, and family walks for example, but so have the scientifically proven benefits of health, immune system and development that come along with agenda-less time, natural sunlight and face-to-face interaction.
The thing is nature and devices don’t mix.
You know what also doesn’t mix?
Devices and family time.
You can’t have both, without sacrificing one or the other.
Today’s children do less socializing and have far less face-to-face interactions which result in lessmeaningful relationshipsand connections to friends, and even immediate family.
–> You can download your Screen Time Rules Checklist for Kids at the Bottom of this Article.
How Does Too Much Screen Time Affect a Child?
A new, large-scale study set out to answer a big, important question:how does screen time affect psychological well-being throughout childhood?in kids ages 2 – 17.
The study looked at a range of electronic use including computers, electronic devices, cell phones, television and video games.
Here’s what the study found:
- Children use screens on average of just over three (3) hours per day.
- Time spent using electronics increases with age; high-schoolers average more than four (4) hours of daily screen time.
- Kids who use electronics more than one (1) hour per day showed more psychological distress and diminished well-being than those who used it for less than 60 minutes a day or not at all.
Thestudyalso found that children who used electronics for more than 1 hour a day:
- Have less self-control,
- Are more likely to be agitated,
- Have less emotional stability,
- Are more likely to argue with their parents,
- Have a harder time making friends,
- Are more distracted,
- Showed less curiosity about learning and of the world around them,
- And are more likely to give up on tasks they found challenging or before they completed the task.
If You Need a Screen-Free Activities your Kids will LOVE…
Looking to Limit Screen Time – Download This Printable Screen Time Rules Checklist
My kids are allowed to watch 45 – 60 minutes of screen time per day. Since we’re on a school break right now I’m a bit more flexible and we’re closer to the 60 minutes, but we stick to these guidelines for them earning their screen time each day.
Earning screen time?
Yep! My kids have to get all their chores done, making their beds, read, play outside in nature, and do kind things for one another to earn their screen time.
What happens if they don’t complete the checklist?
It’s simple. They can try again the next day and won’t have screen time that day.
Here’s what I’ve found when we use screen time rules.
- My kids get so wrapped up in playing outside or doing artwork, that they stop asking for screens and device use.
- My kids lose track of time and hang outside all day.
- There are days when the television never goes on, and devices stay in the cupboard.
Here’s what the Printable Screen Time Rules Checklist for Kids Looks like and download your PDF copy here (as well as a blank version to fill in however works best for your family).
Screentime Rules, Internet Safety & Encouraging Playtime:
- Creating Screentime Rules for Summer (Free Printable)
- List of 98 Kid-Approved Indoor Activities for Kids on School Break/Closure
- Ultimate List of 40 Best Family Night Ideas to Try With Kids
- FREE Nature Scavenger Hunt PDF Printable
- The Harmful Effects of Excessive Screen Time for Kids
FREE PARENTING GUIDE: 8 COMMON PARENTING MISTAKES & HOW TO FIX THEM
FAQs
Encourage unplugged, unstructured playtime. Create tech-free zones or times, such as during mealtime or one night a week. Discourage use of media entertainment during homework. Set and enforce daily or weekly screen time limits and curfews, such as no exposure to devices or screens one hour before bedtime.
What are the nice guidelines for screen time for children? ›
Advice from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) suggests that children should have TV free days, or have a two hour limit on the time spent in front of screens.
How much screen time do experts suggest is enough for children? ›
It's recommended that children under five spend less than an hour per day using screens, and some health experts have recommended that children aged five to 17 should limit their daily screen time to 2 hours.
What are the recommended guidelines for screen time? ›
National guidelines for screen time
Across a 24-hour period, they recommend: infants younger than 2 have no screen time. children aged 2-5 have no more than one hour per day. children and young people aged between 5-17 years have less than 2 hours a day of sedentary recreational screen time.
Does TV count as screen time? ›
"Screen time" is a term used for activities done in front of a screen, such as watching TV, working on a computer, or playing video games. Screen time is a sedentary activity, meaning you are being physically inactive while sitting down. Very little energy is used during screen time.
Is screen time bad for ADHD kids? ›
Excessive screen exposure may significantly contribute to the development of ADHD in children. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce screen time per day in children to prevent the occurrence of ADHD.
What are the four C's of parenting? ›
The Four Cs are Choices, Consequences, Consistency and Compassion, and each is as important as the next, and none can be left out of effective parenting.
How long should a 12 year old have screen time? ›
11-12 years: Time for a weekly budget
90 minutes a day maximum – this is the expert advice for kids on the verge of puberty.
Is 7 hours of screen time bad for kids? ›
A landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018, for example, found that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain's ...
What are the CDC recommendations for screen time by age? ›
Between 18 and 24 months screen time should be limited to watching educational programming with a caregiver. For children 2-5, limit non-educational screen time to about 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days. For ages 6 and older, encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.
Screens reduce empathy
Research has shown that screen time inhibits young children's ability to read faces and learn social skills, two key factors needed to develop empathy. Face-to-face interactions are the only way young children learn to understand non-verbal cues and interpret them.
How many hours of screen time is unhealthy? ›
For instance, this study found that those spending six hours or more per day watching screens had a higher risk for depression, and this study found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes per day lead to a "significant improvement in well-being." The type and quality of screen time also play a role.
Why shouldn't parents limit screen time? ›
When it's restricted your child is more likely to binge, hyper-focus, get anxious or sneak time when you're not watching. They can never fully relax and enjoy their play or viewing because they will be worried that it will be taken away.
What age should parents stop controlling screen time? ›
When you give a kid a device will determine how long a parent is going to be monitoring them, though not all parents agree on when they should give up control. As we showed in our previous survey coverage, parents tend to agree that they have to monitor kids up to about age 10.
Should parents control their children's screen time? ›
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding screens for children younger than 18 to 24 months, except when video chatting with family. The AAP also recommends limiting screen use for preschool children, ages 2 to 5, to just one hour a day of high-quality programming (think Sesame Street or PBS).
Should parents regulate screen time? ›
Whether it's letting your kids watch an hour of TV after their homework is complete or no more than 30 minutes texting with friends, it's crucial that you establish clear rules and limits for screen time. Even though it may be tempting to give in when your kids get upset or throw a tantrum, be consistent and firm.
