Getting Kids to Turn Off their Screens Without a Fight

Getting Kids Off Their Screens Without a Fight - SavvyMom

We all do our best with screen limits and no kid is ever super happy when screen time is over. Is turning off the WiFi your trick for getting your kids off their screens?

WHY DID YOU DO THAT WITHOUT TELLING ME?! IT”S NOT FAIR!

Everyone knows the script. It happens the same way every day. It doesn’t have to be that way.

How to Turn Off their Screens Without a Fight:

If enforcing screen limits and getting your kids off their screens is a constant problem, here’s what to do…

Before screen time starts, Mom and/or Dad are going to have a chat with little Tommy: “Tommy, can you tell us what happens when screen time is over?”

Tommy tells the story about the daily fight.

Mom and Dad continue: “We don’t want to have that fight anymore so we need a new plan. We believe you are old enough to turn the screens off by yourself. Let’s plan how that will happen. You can watch your one show. When it is done, it is your job to turn it off. When you choose to turn it off, you are choosing to have screen time tomorrow. When you show us that you cannot turn it off, you are choosing not to watch tomorrow, but you can try again the next day.”

“Would you like help remembering to turn it off?”

“If yes, I’ll come upstairs and pat you on the shoulder (this gets your child’s attention) and say, “It’s almost time to turn it off.’ You will say, ‘Ok Mom!’ You will turn it off when the show is done and we’ll head upstairs. If you choose not to turn it off, I’ll turn it off and tomorrow you won’t have it. Then, we can try again the next day. I know you can do this!”

Making a plan ahead of the start of screen time, agreeing on a script and consequence, going to the child and getting his attention before asking, and following through with the consequences will make this problem a thing of the past.

Good luck. Like all aspects of getting your kids to listen to you, new strategies are not magic wands and may take a bit of time to sink in. But I think we can all agree it’s worth the effort to stop the yelling!