Written by, Kalpita
28th Apr 2025
As a millennial parent, I have tried all the tricks and made all the errors (and then some more) in limiting screen time for my little one. And I am still struggling as I continue to look-out for new and improved fixes. And I know, I am not alone! Through each of my efforts, a valuable lesson I have learnt is that it’s not as much about ‘limiting’ screen time as much as it is about ‘managing’ screen time. I realised that it’s so much about teaching young children to develop healthy screen time routines and balance their digital consumption with their real life. Not all screen time is bad - if it were, I, for one, wouldn’t have introduced my child to this digital diet at all. But then, I also learnt that it's not about screen ‘time’ either. We need to think more about what our children are gaining from that screen time. Rewiring my mindset enabled me and could empower you too, to focus on ‘purpose’ and reroute your efforts from trying to limit screen time to encouraging healthy screen viewing habits.
I highly recommend these easy-to-use strategies for healthy screen time management, all while focusing on ‘purpose’.
(FULL DISCLOSURE! Some of these could benefit adults as well)
1. Setting Clear Boundaries:
I set up consistent rules and communicate exclusively about when and how long my child can use screens. Boundaries work well when it’s purpose is clear and mutually agreed upon.
Eg: By age 2, my daughter had learnt that she gets 30 minutes of screen time while I run errands at home - no negotiations. When the timer beeps, she shuts down the tablet without fuss, because she knows the rule is always the same.
2. Choosing Quality Content:
I actively look for educational, age-appropriate content and apps and then encourage my child to look for the same. As a team, we discuss and work towards a common goal of fostering creativity and learning.
Eg: Together, my daughter and I pick apps and shows that let her create art, sing along songs, solve puzzles or learn some skills for life. When she was as young as 3, she used to ask for the “coding game” or “letter game” instead of random videos, and we would talk about her creations, successes, and failures too. I called the spade a spade and consistently kept up an ongoing dialogue about what’s good and what’s not-so-good content to engage with and why.
3. Co-Viewing and Co-Playing:
Whenever possible, I make it a point to interact with my child during screen time. This is my way of engaging her understanding, enhancing her learning and strengthening our relationship.
Eg: If my child wants to watch a show, I sit near her and oversee. We laugh, talk about the story, and sometimes act out scenes, making screen time a shared, interactive experience. We even give each other honest feedback and reviews about what we watched.
4. Being a Role Model of Healthy Behaviour:
I make a conscious effort to model healthy behaviour by not just limiting but also managing my own screen usage and switching between other activities.
Eg: I leave my phone away during meals, bedtime stories and any other family time activities, and my kid notices my effort as I say it aloud, “Let me put my phone away, so I can focus on us right now!”
5. Encouraging ‘Other’ Activities:
I try to balance out and compensate screen time with other exciting physical activities, indoor or outdoor pursuits, and creative tasks.
Eg: When screen time ends, I suggest, “Let’s go outside or play a board game.” Overtime, my kid has learnt to look forward to these activities as much as her favourite shows. She understands the need to take a break and values her “screen-free” fun.
6. Valuing Beauty Sleep:
To prevent sleep related disturbances, I am mindful about shutting down and avoiding screens for at least 1 hour before bedtime. Research suggests that the blue light emitted by screens could suppress melatonin production and affect sleep quality. Melatonin is a hormone made in our body, that regulates night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Thanks to this routine, my daughter always falls asleep faster, calmer after a bedtime story and wakes up happier.
7. Nurturing Development Beyond Screens
I consistently remind myself that unstructured play and face-to-face interactions are extremely significant for my child's development. With or without screen, I go over and above to encourage my child to pick activities that focus on enhancing:
- Physical skills
- Language development
- Social interactions
- Creativity and imagination
With time, she sees the value in coming back to screen after enjoying the “non-screen” activities that help her learn and grow in ways a screen never could.
Remember:
It’s always going to be an uphill battle. Screens are here to stay (for now). You are not failing, if your child is overusing a screen. By applying the above strategies and intentionally making it about ‘Quality Screen Exposure’, I hope you will too, be able to help your child see the value behind it all.
The value here is about gaining productive habits, making mindful choices, and regulating screen usage in ways that will stay with them throughout their lives!
