I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’m in a never-ending battle with screens. Between my 7-year-old trying to convince me that Minecraft is “educational,” my 6-year-old begging for “just five more minutes” of YouTube Kids, and my 4-year-old somehow figuring out how to FaceTime Grandma without permission—let’s just say I’m outnumbered.
We’re raising kids in a world that is vastly different from the one we grew up in. I spent my childhood riding my bike until the streetlights came on, knocking on friends’ doors (unannounced!) to play, and making up ridiculous games in the backyard. My biggest “screen time” debate was whether or not I could watch Saved by the Bell before finishing my homework.
Now? Screens are everywhere. And while technology has its perks (hello, ability to order groceries while hiding in the pantry from my children), it also comes with a responsibility: teaching our kids how to navigate the digital world without getting completely lost in it.
Boundaries, Balance & Battles (Because Let’s Be Honest, It’s Not Always Smooth Sailing)
So how do we do it? How do we set healthy screen time boundaries without feeling like the “mean mom” who ruins all the fun? Here’s what I’ve learned—through trial, error, and a whole lot of “turn it off now or I’m hiding the remote!” moments.
1. The House Rules Are Non-Negotiable (Mostly)
In our home, screens are a privilege, not a right. We have simple guidelines: no screens in bedrooms, no devices at the dinner table, and no mindless scrolling before school. But let’s be real—I have absolutely caved on long road trips and sick days. Sometimes, the screen-free ideal has to meet real-life survival. And that’s okay.
2. Model the Behavior You Want to See
Nothing humbles me more than when my kid calls me out for being on my phone. “Mom, why are you telling me to go outside when you’re on your phone?” Ouch. Turns out, if I want my kids to have a healthy relationship with technology, I have to show them what that looks like. I try (key word: try) to put my phone down when they’re talking to me, use screens with intention (not just endless scrolling), and prioritize real-life conversations over digital ones.
3. Make the Offline World More Fun
If I tell my kids to “go play outside” while I sit comfortably inside, it’s no surprise that they whine. But if I join them outside? Suddenly, it’s fun. We’ve started doing “adventure walks” where we search for cool rocks and sticks (apparently, my kids are collectors of everything). We build forts, make obstacle courses, and—yes—sometimes bribe them with a post-walk hot chocolate. The goal is to make offline time just as engaging as screen time.
4. Build a Village (Because We’re Not Meant to Do This Alone)
I think a lot about how different parenting is today. When I was a kid, parents didn’t feel the need to orchestrate every playdate or supervise every moment. But now? We hesitate to let our kids roam freely outside, yet we hand them an iPad with access to an entire digital world that we can’t fully control.
Instead of fearing the outside world, maybe we should be focusing more on protecting our kids from the online world. That starts with community. My neighbors and I have an unspoken rule: if our kids are outside playing together, we all keep an eye out. We text each other when someone’s kid inevitably forgets their jacket at my house, and we’ve created a safe, real-life social network—one where our kids can be kids, offline.
Final Thoughts (and a Friendly Reminder That You’re Doing Just Fine)
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting in the digital age. Some days, I feel like we’ve got a good balance—other days, my kids have had way too much screen time, and I’m just trying to get through the day.
But here’s the thing: We’re all doing our best. Setting screen time limits, encouraging outdoor play, and building a strong community takes effort, but it’s worth it. And in the end, our kids won’t remember every time we said “no” to screens—but they will remember the adventures, the connections, and the time we spent together.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pry a tablet out of my 4-year-old’s hands and remind my kids that the actual world is way more fun than the digital one. Wish me luck.
Until next time,
Sonya
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
