It all started when my oldest child was three. She discovered the Internet, and there was no going back. We didn’t see it as a terrible thing at first since she was allowed to use the computer to access educational sites that helped her learn to read, but it wasn’t long before she discovered other things like videos and games. Before we knew it, all she wanted to do was spend time with the computer and tablet. Soon, our other children began to follow in her footsteps.
No one wanted to play with toys.
No one wanted to play outside.
Communication revolved around the latest download or app.
Electronic devices had taken over our family, and we wanted our family back.
My husband and I decided that we had had enough. We didn’t allow the kids to be on the computer or their tablets for an unlimited amount of time, but we always had a difficult time getting our kids to understand when screen time was over. It was time for a plan.
So after much thought, here are some of the things we did:
- First of all, we talked about what days the kids would be allowed to use the computer. This was the easy part. Of course we didn’t want any computer use on school nights.
- Then, we needed to figure out a schedule. We used the parental controls on the computer to assist with this. Computer use would begin on Fridays at 5pm and end at 8pm. On Saturdays it would be available from 8am to noon, then from 3pm to 8pm. On Sundays it would be available from 2pm to 5pm.
- We knew that we didn’t want them to be on the computer for long periods of time, so we decided to set parental controls so that you could only be on the computer for 30 minutes at a time.
- We also added earning of computer time. In order to earn time on the computer, they had to read. 30 minutes of reading = 30 minutes of computer time.
It took time for the kids to adjust to these new rules. There was a great deal of crying, begging, and arguing, but eventually, they got used to the new schedule. The best part is they have now reintroduced themselves to their toys, swing set, and books.
What kinds of things do you do to limit computer and tablet time?
