Now that kids are back in school, it’s a good time for parents to make new plans for the family. This includes setting up schedules for homework, after-school activities and other tasks. As you think about what you want to do differently this school year, we can help you create healthy tech habits for you and your kids.
With open communication and parental enforcement of reasonable limitations on tech use along with the help of the OEC Fiber App Suite, parents should be confident that they can build a healthy balance between screen time and the rest of their family’s lives.
Tip 1: Start With a Two-Way Conversation
Before setting up boundaries and promoting healthy tech habits, the first step is to have a conversation with your kids. Discuss your concerns regarding their screen time and allow them to provide feedback.
Listen to what your children say about their online interests and tech usage. After all, there are benefits to online activity. Kids use their connected devices to do everything from talking with friends to learning new skills.
By approaching the topic as a team, you can work together to maximize their online time and get your children’s buy-in. This helps build trust instead of making it feel like a punishment; it’s about balancing responsibilities and other interests with their screen time.
Tip 2: Establish Clear and Consistent Screen Time Limits
Part of that open and honest conversation involves establishing clear screen time boundaries. Parents may set up a daily schedule for acceptable device usage, while other times are strictly off limits, with exceptions for necessary tasks like homework or other learning.
Other parents find a more flexible approach works best, allowing a set number of hours spent online daily or weekly. To stay on top of this, apps and specific device settings can be employed to track just how much time your kids spend online.
Regardless of your path, the OEC Fiber App Suite can help you enforce the rules by setting schedules for individual devices or turning off their Wi-Fi access to eliminate distractions.
Tip 3: Consider Turning Off Notifications
Another tip parents can consider is turning off all—or at least most—notifications on their children’s devices. The seemingly constant stream of dings from notifications draws kids back to their devices when they are meant to be doing other things.
Try establishing a timeframe around limiting notifications instead of turning them off completely. For example, blocking out a two-to-three-hour period between after school and dinner time without notifications may help naturally reduce screen time—and even encourage actual face-to-face conversation at the dinner table!
Tip 4: Model Good Online and Screen Time Habits
Our last tip is to remember that your kids are watching you as much as you are them! You need to model responsible online usage habits yourself. The more consistently parents model a proper balance between using their devices and other activities, the more likely their kids will do the same.
Given that your child will have to be on their devices more during the school year, these tips should help you better balance their screen time with the rest of their lives. Remember the need for open communication, appropriate boundary setting, consistent enforcement of any schedules or limitations and to model responsible behavior as best you can. Who knows? Maybe these tips will help you better balance your screen time, too!
