As most parents have noticed screens are a constant source of friction in our households that just never seems to end. 

This podcast is the first of two parts; Part 1 (this podcast) targeting younger families and how to deal with what I call “family screens.” I go over ways we can set up screens in our family in such a way that there are limits with obedience, and if there’s not,  how to set up effective consequences. 

 Although the target audience for Part I is parents with toddlers to middle schoolers there are really fundamental things for all families to set up so it’s best to listen to this before moving on to Part 2 even if you have older kids.  On the flip side, even if you have younger kids I recommend you listen to Part 2 when it comes out so you can prepare for what’s ahead. This issue is super, super difficult, constantly changing, hard to understand and it’s so important for us parents to be on top of this and stay current. 

As I mentioned,  Part 1 is going to deal with what I call “family screens”.  These are the electronics in your house that are family owned – iPads, laptops, tablets, TVs, gaming systems and such that are shared among the family members.  This is usually the stage from toddler until late elementary to middle school when kids start getting their own phones and laptops.  In this podcast I’m going to cover 8 rules for what I think it takes to set up good screen time then in Part 2 I’ll cover my final 5 rules dealing with older kids when individual cell-phones, laptops and other electronics come in to play. 

Learn the 8 rules to follow:
Rule 1: Keep Electronics Out of the Bedroom
Rule 2: Keep Electronics in Public Places
Rule 3: Set Time Limits and Stick to Them
Rule 4: Define Consequences
Rule 5: Use Parental Control Software
Rule 6: Allocate Family Time
Rule 7: Encourage Downtime
Rule 8: Model It!

Here's a link to Bark-O-Matic mentioned in the podcast:
BARK-O-MATIC

For a link to the transcript of this podcast see my blog on my website at:
PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

Have a blessed rest of your day!