11 Must Have Tips for managing screen time with young kids

Managing screen time can be hard, but you can make it simpler with these easy tips.

Screen time

I know as a mom that it can be hard some days to manage your kid’s screen time. It’s hard on days you’re too tired, when it’s too cold outside, when you need a break, you’re pregnant, you aren’t feeling well, or you just don’t want to think about being a mom.

I get it!

But if you manage their screen time on the not-so-hard days, then you won’t feel as guilty on those hard days. I definitely have days where I let my kids watch too much TV, but I try to reserve those days for the really hard days!

I try not to do more than 2 hours of TV a day, sometimes it’s less, and some days they don’t watch at all. I also try to keep their gaming screen time to 1 hour or less.

Children can be trained

If you think you’re kids watch too much TV or on electronics too much, you can train them. It might be hard at first, but give it a week or two and they will get better at keeping themselves busy and finding things to do. They will surprise you.

Here are some tips and things that we do in our family that have helped us.

Tips for Managing Screen time for Young Kids

Busy activity

Have a go-to activity list or activity jar that you can just pull ideas out of when they are getting restless, bored, or asking to watch. Having a craft box is another handy tool. Just pull it out and let them design what they want. Here are some items you could get from the dollar store to have in your craft box.

Start an activity challenge, (FREE) to get your kids doing something different each day.

Delay Screen time

Say “what if we do ____ first”. Insert activity or craft. A lot of the time they will get lost in it and then think of something else to do. It doesn’t work every time, but it’s nice when it does. They might even forget for a while.

Earn/lose screen time

You could create a system where they earn their screen time by doing chores, or listening well. They could also lose it if they aren’t behaving or doing their chores. They could earn 15 minutes for each chore, or an hour for listening well, etc… Here is a Pokémon reward chart, or a cars reward chart, or Unicorn Chart. 

Challenge yourself

If you are having a good day, challenge yourself to not let them watch TV that day. You could always redirect their attention by telling them they haven’t played outside, or let’s do a craft together, or let’s pick up your toys. It’s even easier to not feel guilty for letting them watch TV on the hard days because they’ve had a few days without it.

Aim for a Certain Amount

Screen time can be great for a lot of reasons, including being educational, fun, and giving you a break, but remember to create a healthy amount of time. Find an amount that works for you and your family, and make it the norm in your house. We try to stick to 2 hours. Let the kids know what their time limit is. If they ask to watch more TV, you  just say, “we’ve already hit our two hours today”.

Explain why excessive screen time can be harmful

Kids love to be responsible for information. Explain to them why it’s important that we don’t watch a lot of TV and how healthy it is to play and be creative. Let them know when they’ve hit their limit and help them monitor their own watching habits.

Spend time together

Usually when you take some time out of your day to do a craft or activity with your kiddo, they are more likely to be creative themselves. They start coming up with their own ideas, and they want to spend less time staring at a TV. Try to get out once a day doing something fun together! Here is a list of 43 fun and frugal things to do. 

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Share an alternative

Sometimes when my kids want to watch but I don’t really want them to, I suggest a dance party or interactive videos instead. They are still “watching”, but they are also getting exercise and moving around. If I catch them not dancing, the TV goes off. There are several YouTube videos that can lead kids in dancing, exercises, and fun games. This is a great winter activity for when you’re stuck inside, but need to get energy out!

Introduce Quiet time

If your kids don’t nap anymore, you could have a quiet time in your house, where they have to do certain quiet activities. Here is a great post about how we did quiet time in our house. If you have a quiet time box that only comes out during that set time, then they are more likely to play with it. We do 1 hour of quiet time in their room. Again, if you haven’t been doing it, it might take some time for them to adjust to it.

Be okay with messes and running around

If the kids are watching less TV, they are probably making more messes and running around. Be okay with some mess. Maybe start putting in your routine to clean up every night before bed. Let them be creative and explore.

Don’t ask them

Are you asking your kids if they’d like to watch TV? Are they driving you crazy, so you’d like to advert their attention? Maybe try an activity first, or give them an alternative thing to do before resorting to TV. Sometimes my kids will go all day without even asking to watch. Try not to ask them until they ask you.

Don’t feel guilty

We ALL have those days where life is hard and they watch TV too much. Don’t beat yourself up. It happens to all of us! You are not alone. When I was pregnant with my son, my daughter watched Little Einstein’s like ALL DAY! So remember to be gentle with yourself.

What if they’re addicted?

If your kids are constantly asking to watch TV or play video games, and then throw a fit when you say no, they could be addicted. BUT have no fear, you can train them. If I find that my son is asking me to play on my phone all day every day, we go on a 1 week fast of no phone. It sucks for the first few days, but then he forgets to ask all the time. We do the same thing with TV.

Managing Screen Time

I’m not saying my way is the perfect way, but it works for me and my family. You have to find what works for your family. It does take some work sometimes, but it’s worth it for their overall health. BUT you also can’t be too hard on yourself if you have some days of too much electronics. It’s a balance, and you have to find that balance.

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