Hey mama! As your bonus for purchasing Summer Rhythms, I’m pleased to offer you the Screen Time Scripts.
Here’s a handy dandy video to walk you through them as well!
Screen Time Scripts
“You can have screen time after you’ve…”
- done chores
- cleaned your room
- read a book
- played outside
- [enter whatever they are normally resistant to]
“Screen time lasts [xyz] minutes, after that it’s turned off…”
Set a timer! Choosing a time limit helps:
- set expectations
- prevent screen time creep
- put the burden of stopping on the rule, which prevents power struggles
- keep screen time within healthy limits
“Screen time is an extra, not an essential.”
According to my son’s ADHD psychiatrist and OT therapist, screen time for kids should always be considered a privilege. It should be earned and extra, never expected or demanded. It should be removed for a child’s benefit if your child is:
- overtired
- overstimulated
- refusing to cooperate
- throwing a fit when it’s time to turn off the screen
“If you see something confusing, come talk to me.”
I’d personally suggest not giving your kid a device until you’re ready for them to be exposed to something inappropriate. Because it’s that likely to happen. That said, we never want to only prevent our kids from seeing stuff without equipping them to know what is and isn’t healthy.
Here are some things that may confuse kids, and you want to keep lines of communication open:
- pornography
- bad or vulgar language
- bullying
- racism, hate speech, etc.
- violence
The list goes on.
“Are you at a stopping place?”
If your child typically makes a big deal about stopping screen time or putting away the device, when are about 10 minutes away from wanting your child to finish screen time ask them this phrase.
They can tell you what they’re doing and together you can see where a logical stopping point might be. This will help your child feel “finished” which will increase cooperation.