So… has summer hit you like a wave of Wi-Fi requests and TikTok scrolling?
School’s barely out and the screen time battle is already heating up — especially if you’re parenting tweens or teens. It’s enough to make you want to skip straight to September!
But take a breath — don’t panic. I’ve found a fantastic resource that can help you shift from screen-time enforcer to screen-time strategist. It’s from the amazing folks at Screenagers, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the digital world. You may have seen their powerful films in your community — and if not, I highly recommend them.
Their latest blog post, “Screen Time and Parental Controls: Simple Tips for a Smoother Summer”, is packed with realistic, research-backed ideas. And I LOVE it. Seriously — it’s worth the read. But in case you’re in the car, folding laundry, or hiding in the pantry for five minutes of peace, let me give you a quick summary:
1. Trust… and VerifyNo secret spying. Set up agreed-upon guidelines with your kids, then check in together to see how it’s going. If something’s not working, adjust — don’t ambush.
2. Keep the Conversation GoingParental controls are helpful, but real connection happens through conversation. Take a few minutes to talk — not argue — about what’s working and what’s not, online and offline.
3. Show Grace — Lots of ItMistakes will happen. Tech rules will be broken. But instead of going into panic or punishment mode, take a step back, breathe, and reset with compassion — for them and for you.
4. Think Like a ResearcherUse parental controls as an experiment, not a fix-all.
· Try something, observe, tweak.
· Involve your kids in the setup — when they’re part of the process, they’re more likely to stay on board.
· And my personal favorite tip: keep tech out of bedrooms. No phones, tablets, or laptops. Just a dumb old alarm clock. It might be the single most powerful screen habit you can enforce.
If this has sparked some new ideas, I hope you’ll head over to Screenagers and check out the full blog post — and their other great resources too.
School’s barely out and the screen time battle is already heating up — especially if you’re parenting tweens or teens. It’s enough to make you want to skip straight to September!
But take a breath — don’t panic. I’ve found a fantastic resource that can help you shift from screen-time enforcer to screen-time strategist. It’s from the amazing folks at Screenagers, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the digital world. You may have seen their powerful films in your community — and if not, I highly recommend them.
Their latest blog post, “Screen Time and Parental Controls: Simple Tips for a Smoother Summer”, is packed with realistic, research-backed ideas. And I LOVE it. Seriously — it’s worth the read. But in case you’re in the car, folding laundry, or hiding in the pantry for five minutes of peace, let me give you a quick summary:
1. Trust… and VerifyNo secret spying. Set up agreed-upon guidelines with your kids, then check in together to see how it’s going. If something’s not working, adjust — don’t ambush.
2. Keep the Conversation GoingParental controls are helpful, but real connection happens through conversation. Take a few minutes to talk — not argue — about what’s working and what’s not, online and offline.
3. Show Grace — Lots of ItMistakes will happen. Tech rules will be broken. But instead of going into panic or punishment mode, take a step back, breathe, and reset with compassion — for them and for you.
4. Think Like a ResearcherUse parental controls as an experiment, not a fix-all.
· Try something, observe, tweak.
· Involve your kids in the setup — when they’re part of the process, they’re more likely to stay on board.
· And my personal favorite tip: keep tech out of bedrooms. No phones, tablets, or laptops. Just a dumb old alarm clock. It might be the single most powerful screen habit you can enforce.
If this has sparked some new ideas, I hope you’ll head over to Screenagers and check out the full blog post — and their other great resources too.