Strategies for Balancing Technology at Home

Whether your kids are stuck at home for a few weeks or just for a few rainy days, technology is always going to be something they’ll reach for to entertain themselves. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however, there should always be a balance of technology, especially for kids.

Today, the majority of American children spend five to eight hours a day in front of a screen and less than one hour outside, and the average child’s sleep quality, attention span, and stress levels could be negatively affected because of it.

Managing and balancing technology at home isn't always easy, but I have come up with some simple and effective strategies that you can start using right away.

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Here are just a few of my favorite ways to balance technology at home!

Monitor Screen Time & Screen Time Agreement

It is important to monitor the amount of time your child spends on a technology device. These devices include tablets, laptops, iPads, cell phones, Nintendo, and other gaming devices.

Screen Time Agreement:

Agree on a time limit and allow your child to use their minutes either all at once or multiple times throughout the day

PRO TIP: Here are some examples of what your agreement might be:​

• Asher will have their iPad for 30 minutes after snack, 30 minutes after lunch, and then for 1 hour after dinner.

• Judah will have their cell phone for 1 hour after his morning Zoom session, 1 hour after lunch, and 1 hour after basketball practice.

Agreeing with your child on set times and expectations for technology use beforehand can take away the inevitable power struggle when a child is unexpectedly asked to put their technology away.

Physical Activity First

Promoting your child’s involvement in outside activities has proven to improve general mood, attention, and memory. It also tends to reduce behaviors like being easily distracted, lack of focus, or struggling with over-stimulation between school, homework, and online games. 

Playing outside allows your child to release energy in a healthy way, raise levels of serotonin production which is our body’s natural anti-depressant, and routinely soak in some Vitamin D.

Communal Charging Station

Create a communal charging station for all family devices. Having a singular place in the home where all devices can charge and be housed is a great way to keep track of your devices and their usage and model healthy use of your own personal technology. We are the everyday role models in our kids' lives, and we have the power to model and live out the healthy expectations for technology use that we expect of them!

These simple strategies are great and powerful for kids of all ages and abilities. Start implementing these with your kids and watch your home turn from chaos to calm!

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Disclaimer: The resources and ideas found on this website are all research-based and vetted with a parent and educator lens. The tools listed have worked for students and children that I work with; however, each child is different. This list is not exhaustive and is a compilation of ideas and strategies to try in schools or at home. No information on this website should be used as medical advice. I am not a clinical psychologist, but I do work alongside them as thought partners in this journey.