Make and download a screen guide for your family
Rules stick when the whole family helped make them. Pick the suggestions that fit, put them in your own words and hang the result on the fridge. The rules apply to the grown-ups too.
Morning
a calm morning sets the tone for the dayMornings are screen-free until we've had breakfast and we're ready for the day.
the whole family
On school days, screens wait until after school.
school-age kids
Mealtimes
the table is for usMeals are screen-free, grown-ups included.
the whole family · from Screen time for kids and teens, a complete guide
Phones stay off the table while we eat.
the whole family
The TV stays off during meals, even in the background.
little kids · school-age kids · from Screens and language: two year olds with more screen time know fewer words
Evening and sleep
sleep is sacredScreens go to bed an hour before we do.
the whole family · from The science of good sleep
Devices spend the night outside the bedrooms, at their own charging spot.
the whole family · from The science of good sleep
Messages that come in after bedtime can wait until morning.
teens · from The science of good sleep
Time together
when we're together, we're togetherWhen someone's talking to us, we look up from the screen.
the whole family
We don't film each other without asking first.
the whole family
We don't share photos of anyone who hasn't said yes.
the whole family
Being bored is allowed. Not every quiet moment needs a screen.
the whole family · from You're bored? Good!
Social media and games
deals we make up front, not in the momentWe agree on gaming time before the game starts, not once it's going.
school-age kids · teens · from Guide to kids and gaming
We stop at the end of a round, not in the middle of one.
school-age kids · teens · from Guide to kids and gaming
We decide on new apps and games together before anything gets downloaded.
little kids · school-age kids · from Kids and social media, a parent's guide
Chat with strangers stays switched off unless we agree otherwise.
school-age kids
No streak matters more than what we'd rather be doing.
teens · from The case against streaks: even Duolingo can get its hooks into your child
Notifications that aren't urgent stay switched off.
the whole family · from Take back control of your focus: become “indistractable”
Nobody has their screen taken away for telling us about something uncomfortable online.
school-age kids · teens · from Does taking the phone away actually help?
The grown-ups
these rules go for us tooWe grown-ups put our phones down when we get home.
the whole family
We grown-ups wake up to an alarm clock, not a phone on the bedside table.
the whole family · from The science of good sleep
We grown-ups ask the kids before sharing photos of them.
the whole family
Every rule in this guide goes for the grown-ups too.
the whole family