5 tech routines that can help your kids build better screentime habits

A long break from the regular schedule—like a summer or holiday vacation—can be a good time to help kids build new habits with their screentime routines. With no school, there’s more opportunity to experiment with new ideas, like swapping an audiobook for a family movie night or trying a half-tech Tuesday.

I’ve used each of these ideas, and they’re designed to help kids develop self-sufficiency while strengthening family bonds. They work for my family and could work for yours, too.

Switch up family movie night with an audiobook

Audiobooks benefit children who are auditory learners, since they comprehend information better when they listen to it. Adults can also be auditory learners, so give this a try and see if you like an audiobook night, too.

And you don’t need to be auditory learners to benefit. Listening to an audiobook together could also help kids wind down and stay on a bedtime schedule.

Try this: Cut time in front of the big screen by having an audiobook or podcast night instead of movie night.

Introduce one “no-tech” day during the week

We have half-tech Tuesdays and no-tech Thursdays in our home when the kids aren’t in school. Picking one screentime-free day while we’re on vacation helps to ensure that we’re living in the moment.

Summer or a holiday break is a great time to try this, since you have more control over a larger chunk of your schedule. Get in the habit while on vacation, and you can continue it when kids go back to school, too.

Try this: Pick one day or a half day a week when screens can only be used for work. The rest of the time is spent offline.

Do a family challenge

It helps to reduce friction if the kids know they’re going to do something they enjoy when screentime ends. (This typically means choosing an activity that activates their other senses as a way to release serotonin, a mood-boosting neurotransmitter.)

In our house, we do family step challenges. We started using timers in our step challenge because my son, Jake, is the fast walker. One of our challenges is to match Jake’s pace and see how quickly we can complete a mile. I am happy to report we have decreased our mile walk time from 28 minutes to 22 minutes. We are a work in progress!

Try this: Pick one day of the week for a family challenge, such as a family step challenge. The winner can choose the movie (or audiobook) for the next family movie/audiobook night.

Add movement while watching TV or videos

The urge to watch episode after episode of a favorite series is real. And children often struggle with screentime management because their perception of time is still developing. Helping them understand and internalize the concept of time can have long-term benefits.

To do this, we started using movement breaks in their TV and video time. Every 15 minutes, they take a movement break, which not only gets them moving but also helps them understand how long they’ve actually been watching.

Try this: Set a timer for 15 minutes when your kids watch their favorite show. When the timer goes off, they need to take a movement break. This can discourage binge-watching.

Establish holiday or summer screentimes during the day

During the school year, my kids can have screentime after they’ve done their homework (but they need to be done at least two hours before bedtime). During summer vacations, we switch it up so they have more freedom: Open screentime starts at noon and ends at 7 PM during the summer, though we still limit it to a total of no more than two hours of screentime per day.

How they spend their time away from screens is up to them. My daughter, Abby, often uses off-screen time to journal, practice piano, stretch and do chores.

Try this: Set specific off-screen times during the day to encourage other activities that can help your kids explore and find out what else they might enjoy.

Mix up your digital parenting routine, too, with Smart Family.