We asked over 175 parents and carers, with children aged 0 to 7, to offer advice to other families based on what they currently implement at home in terms of screen time moderation. Their responses helped to shape our top tips and advice.
“Set boundaries and stick to them! Make the rules clear to other family members too.”
“Explain your expectations ahead of screen time, and regularly update children on how long is left so they are prepared for it to finish.”
Two parents to children aged 2.
“I look at screen time as part of a bigger picture of activities my son has access to. We go to groups, go for walks, play at the park, play with toys, read, sing, do puzzles etc – so I don’t worry too much about his screen time as it isn’t his only activity. He uses it for a bit of downtime and the videos have encouraged his speech and signing.”
Mother to son aged 1.
“I try to encourage watching more beneficial or educational programmes. E.g. Frozen, Moana and Ballerina have great strong female main characters that I have no issue with my daughter aspiring to be like, and we’ve learnt so much about sea creatures from the Octonauts that she now also enjoys watching real life under sea footage!”
Father to daughter aged 4.
“My daughter loves Paw Patrol and watching the episodes stimulates her to create adventures with the set of character toys she has.”
Mother to daughter aged 3.