Children’s screen usage has reached an all-time high in the United States, with research suggesting that most children between the ages of three and eight spend three hours a day watching television. Sadly, that’s not the only screen taking over young kids’ free time: at least 60% of kids start accessing smartphones before they turn five, and 31% of kids get ahold of those phones before their second birthday.

Now, looking at a screen isn’t inherently dangerous to your child’s health. Instead, the type of screens, and the amount of time spent in front of them, have the greatest impact on children’s health and development. Want to allow kids to explore the benefits of technology without impacting their mental or physical well-being? Then it’s crucial to set screen time boundaries by following these five simple action steps. But first, it’s important to understand why you need to limit screen time.

When it comes to infants and screen time, the boundaries are pretty clear: the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that, before the age of 18 months, children should have no screen time unless they’re making a quick Zoom call with a loved one.

After that, the ‘rules’ are still pretty strict. Preschool-age children should have no more than one hour a day of screen time. And, until they turn five, any screen time they do have should be educational–and supervised!

Following their fifth birthday, children can enjoy some solo screen time. Still, screens should never replace quality time with loved ones or active outdoor and indoor creative play. Of course, it can be tempting to get some quiet time by letting screens be the primary source of entertainment–and that’s ok once in a while, as long as there are clear screen time boundaries. Why are limits on screens so crucial to children’s development? Here are some of the main benefits associated with placing limitations on kids’ screen usage:

Anyone who has ever watched a small child getting lost in a screen knows they are usually oblivious to the world around them. When engaged in unlimited screen time, that child only learns to interact with images on a screen–not with other children or adults, with whom they may need to negotiate or compromise in order to get along.

In other words, unlimited screen time limits kids’ social interactions. But healthy screen time–reserved to about one hour each day–requires kids to disengage from the virtual world and dive into the real one. In turn, they will learn to make conversation, share, play, and generally engage in the greater world. Sounds good, right? Well, it’s not just a good idea–it’s actually critical to healthy childhood development. And it’s one of the most important reasons for parents to limit screen time.

When kids engage in excessive screen time, they are less active. And when they’re not moving as much, children are also at greater risk for obesity. But what is a healthy daily screen time that won’t negatively impact children’s physical health?

Medical experts suggest that parents who limit screen time to no more than two hours per day can avoid the added risk of childhood obesity. Screen time that exceeds the threshold will increase kids’ risk, especially since they’re likely to choose unhealthy snacks or eat beyond hunger levels while engaged with media.

Especially when implemented early in life, screen time boundaries help kids establish a healthy relationship with media. Learning that screens are just one of many fun entertainment options helps children find other passions. As they mature and take more control over their media use, they will be able to limit screen time on their own. That will reduce their risk for cyberbullying; limit their exposure to online predators; and help them maintain focus and attention when engaged in tasks that don’t involve screen exposure.

Excessive screen time–especially with apps like YouTube and TikTok–can take a toll on kids’ ability to remain focused on longer tasks like class lessons and homework. Even scarier? Recent research reveals that excessive screen time (more than 7 hours each day) actually changes a developing child’s brain by thinning the cortex, which is part of the brain responsible for academic tasks like critical thinking. As a result, children who go beyond the daily healthy screen time limits may struggle to concentrate on academic tasks.

Conversely, children who are given screen time boundaries must also engage in creative play, and they will have more opportunities to read, write and use critical thinking to solve real-world problems. In turn, they will be better prepared for learning, both in and out of the classroom.

Blue light exposure interferes with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle by preventing melatonin release. As a result, letting kids have too much screen time, or even a healthy amount of screen time that’s used within an hour of bedtime, can delay sleep onset and lead to waking throughout the night. Want to avoid the nightly bedtime battles and help kids get sufficient, high-quality sleep? It’s crucial to avoid all screen exposure within an hour of bedtime and to limit screen time throughout the day…and here’s how to do just that!

Creating screen time boundaries can be challenging. But these strategies can help initiate parental control of screen time without the tears and fights.

When it comes to limiting media exposure, parents have to follow their own screen time boundaries by reducing screen exposure, especially when talking to their kids. Then, they can use those new, screenless pockets of time to bond with kids, enjoying a family dinner or game night. In this way, both kids and parents can benefit from these new limits on screen exposure.

Some families limit screen time to the weekends, keeping children off the TV and other devices on school days. Others can get a specified amount of screen time on weeknights, providing homework and other activities have been completed, and bedtime is not approaching. Any kind of routine can work so long as it remains consistent. In this way, children know when to expect healthy screen time–and when it’s entirely off the table. That establishes regular limits and reduces nagging and fighting over screen time requests outside the pre-determined boundaries.

In addition to relegating screen use to specific periods of the day or week, parents should have clear boundaries about when screen use will never be acceptable, whether at family meals, in children’s bedrooms or before breakfast. When setting these screentime boundaries, explain why the rules are important and why they are non-negotiable to help everybody get on board with the plan.

To enhance the quality of night sleep, you can set the following screen rules:

• Leave tablets and phones in the living room when going to bed
• No TVs in the bedroom
• No chatting or online interactions with friends at night
  

With all that screen-free quality time families can now enjoy, it’s important to take advantage of these opportunities to grow together. Try introducing new and exciting activities, whether playing outdoors during good weather or instituting family game nights during cold winter months. Even engaging in chores together, or starting a new hobby like playing an instrument, can be a great way to show children how much fun they can have when they put down their screens.

Other activities your children might enjoy besides screens (depending on their age):

• Swimming 
• Cycling 
• Playing outside with children (unstructured is best for younger children as it helps them explore and interact) 
• Walking the dog 
• Helping with simple chores in the house 
• Coloring with crayons 
• Drawing, molding 
• Playing with various toys 
• Dancing 
• Learning a musical instrument 

Even when the amount of screen time in the home is appropriate, monitoring the quality of media children consume is critical. For younger children, that should mean they only engage with screens under direct adult supervision. But for older children, that may not be practical. So, to help protect children during online sessions, it’s important to set up parental controls on any devices they use. Additionally, prior to screen time, talk with children about the quality of content they choose to view, encouraging sites and shows that engage and educate over mindless scrolling or violent role-playing games.

Furthermore:

• Be wary of misleading ads or age-inappropriate content 
• Teach your child about online privacy and safety 
• Limit device ownership until an appropriate age 
• Place parental controls on sites they cannot access 
• Focus on more educative and engaging content 

Clearly, when parents limit screen time, children flourish–they sleep better, perform better in school, and are less likely to grapple with obesity. Even better? Kids who stick to healthy screen time limits get more time outdoors and more chances to enjoy quality family interactions. Conversely, kids without limits on screen time can face academic struggles, disrupted sleep, and potentially dangerous weight gain.

Ready to reclaim control over screen time in the home? Now’s a perfect time: while there may be initial pushback against boundaries, know that the struggles will eventually slip away, and the rewards will be long-lasting!

How do you establish screen time boundaries for your child? Do you have any tips and tricks for fostering healthy screen time habits? Comment Below!