Hours of online lessons don’t leave much room for extra screen time. Planning together helps families find a balance that works.
Quick takeaways
- Separate school screen time from entertainment screen time when you plan your family’s day.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a Family Media Plan tool to help families set priorities and rules together.
- Protect sleep: the CDC lists 9 to 12 hours a day for ages 6 to 12 and 8 to 10 hours for teens.
- Create screen-free times and places, such as meals and bedrooms at night.
- Make sure there’s time every day for movement, outdoor play and face-to-face connection.
When school happens on a laptop, kids can spend most of the day looking at a screen before they’ve even started on games, videos or messaging friends. Simple rules like “two hours a day” don’t fit this situation well. A better approach is to plan screen use as a family, with clear priorities.
Separate learning from entertainment
Start by mapping out the school day, including live lessons and homework. Then decide how much time is left for other activities and how recreational screen time fits around them. Learning time still counts for eyes, posture and sleep, even though it’s valuable.
Make a Family Media Plan
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers a Family Media Plan, an online tool that helps families decide together how to use media. Rather than focusing only on hours, it encourages families to make room for priorities such as:
- Sleep
- Schoolwork
- Physical activity and play
- Time with family and friends
- Screen-free times and places
Involving kids in making the plan, especially older children and teens, makes the rules easier to follow.
Protect sleep
Late-night screen use is one of the easiest ways to lose sleep. The CDC lists these amounts of sleep per day, based on American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidance:
- Ages 6 to 12: 9 to 12 hours
- Ages 13 to 18: 8 to 10 hours
A shared charging spot outside bedrooms and a “screens off” time before bed both help.
Helpful tip
Swap screen time for something your child chooses, not just something you want them to do. A library book, a building project or a walk with the dog is easier to say yes to than “go do something else.”
Create screen-free times and places
Common family choices include:
- Meals without phones or TV.
- The first and last hour of the day.
- Car rides for conversation.
- Bedrooms at night.
Parents count, too. Children notice how adults use their phones.
Make time to move
After hours of sitting, kids need to be active. Build in outdoor play, sports, dance, bike rides or a family walk. Movement breaks during the school day help too; our guide to building a daily routine has ideas.
Keep talking
Screen habits change as children grow and as school demands shift. Check in regularly about what’s working, what’s hard and what they enjoy online. Our guide to online safety for students covers the safety side of those conversations.
Parents and students ask
Does school screen time count toward screen limits?
Learning time is different from entertainment, but it still adds up for eyes, posture and sleep. Many families plan the day so that recreational screen time is balanced around school time.
Should we ban screens in bedrooms?
Many families find that keeping devices out of bedrooms overnight helps protect sleep. A shared charging station in a common area makes the rule easier to follow.
How do I handle gaming and social media?
Agree on when and how long, which games or apps are allowed, and what happens before screens, like homework and chores. Review the rules as children get older.
What if my child gets upset when screen time ends?
Give a warning a few minutes before time is up, use a timer so the limit isn’t personal and plan an appealing next activity. Consistency helps transitions get easier.
This guide is general information for families. Follow your school’s policies, and talk to your child’s teacher, school counselor or pediatrician about your child’s specific needs.