It’s important to help children to find a balance between their online and offline activities. Think about the age and stage of your children and understand how they use the internet.
Understand what they’re doing
Talk to your child about what they’re using their devices for, so you have a better understanding of how they’re spending their time. Are they using it to:
- Learn
- Communicate and create friendships; or
- Create music or videos?
This will help you decide how much time you’d like your children to spend online. It is also a great opportunity to have an open conversation with your child about their online activity.
Set device-free zones and times at home
Having times and areas in the home when devices are not permitted can help reduce screen time. For example:
- No devices in the bedroom for younger children
- No screens in bedrooms after a certain time for older children
- All screens turned off at least one hour before bedtime
- No screens at dinner time
Use tools to help manage younger children’s screen time
- Google’s Family Link(external link) is an app for parents to help manage their child’s device and account. It enables parents to set screen time limits to ensure that children cannot use their device after the set time
- Apple Family Safety Centre(external link) provides useful tips for parents on how to track and manage children’s screen time and app usage on Macs, iPhones and iPads
- Screentime(external link) is an app for parents to set daily time limits for your children to avoid excessive usage, instantly pause your child’s device and set blocked periods of time such as bedtime and homework time to help your child avoid distractions
Lead by example
Children learn behaviours from those around them. If you want them to reduce their screen time, you should lead by example and show your child you can put down your device too
Netsafe has more information about managing screentime: