Screen Time Recommendations by Age

There is no doubt that screen time is a hot topic with parents, teachers, and child experts. There is a lot of information from experts out there, but what happens in reality is a different story. As an experienced pre-school, elementary, homeschool teacher, and mom, I can tell you what worked for my family and offer some sound expert opinions to help you decide what will work best for your family.

Before I get into what the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests as appropriate screen usage by age, let me share our family story.
Setting expectations early and never deviating from the established set-up is critical. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for tantrums and other behaviors like begging, or repeated asking, or even worse pitting you against your partner because your opinions differ.
Have a discussion about rules and etiquette with your partner in advance of talking to your children about screen use.
If something new comes up for discussion, have a private conversation with your partner BEFORE you talk to your children.

Screen use is a sensitive subject for children. When they see other children doing something other than your established family rules, they will ask WHY? Be prepared for those questions in advance with these tips.

Establish clear rules and boundaries as soon as the device comes into your home.

Why can't I use my tablet in my room?
Setting this boundary early is a great way to avoid arguments later. Keep all screens out of your bedrooms. If possible, parents should also model this behavior as well, to avoid later questions.
Set certain times of the day when screens can be used and when they are not in use, dock them in the same place of your house to charge or store.
What to say to your children
Bedrooms are private spaces. The internet and your tablet are tapped into the public world and a lot of strangers. In our family, we charge our devices over night in our ____ (fill in the blank with the room you have set up to charge and house devices.) You can use it again tomorrow during screen time.

Why can you ..... but I can't?
Most of the issues that arise regarding screen time revolve around perceived "double standards". Why can Dad use his computer anytime? Why does mom take her phone into the bedroom at night?
The best way to avoid these arguments is to abide by the same rules you establish for the children. However, many times parents need to check their phones, computers, or tablets for personal or work related issues outside of the established time frames set up as family rules.
What to say to your children
Some ways to explain the difference is through calm, respectful language. "Mom works from home, so sometimes she needs to check her phone for new clients at night after you go to bed. " or "Dad needs to check his computer to answer emails. It is important because his job depends on him." Statements like these will help children understand the difference between screen use and time between the adults and children in your family.

Additional practices that help kids to feel you care.
Practicing social etiquette while using your devices helps your children feel important and loved. If your child askes you a question while you are using your phone, tablet, or computer, stop looking at the screen and look at them while you answer. This simple action helps your child feel heard and seen, which goes a long way in calm communication.

A common complaint of children is parents oversharing on social media.

Sarita Schoenebeck is part of a team of researchers at the University of Washington and University of Michigan who surveyed 249 families with children between the ages of 10 and 17 about how families navigate technology limits and expectations.
"Twice as many children as parents expressed concerns about family members oversharing personal information about them on Facebook and other social media without permission,” says the study's co-author Schoenebeck. “Many children said they found that content embarrassing and felt frustrated when their parents continued to do it.”

Protect your children with safety apps
Bark: Best for communication and social media monitoring. It uses AI to scan chats, emails, and photos for cyberbullying or predatory behavior, notifying parents of concerning content rather than just blocking apps.
Qustodio: Best for screen time management and location tracking. It offers highly customizable daily schedules, detailed web filtering, and lets you track where the tablet is in real-time.
Aura Parental Controls: Best for bypass resistance. It features 28 content-filtering categories, tracks gaming chats (like on Roblox), and bundles in device security like VPNs.

What does the American Academy of Pediatrics Say?
Under 18 Months: Avoid all screen media, except for live video chatting (e.g., FaceTime or Zoom) with family.
18 to 24 Months: If introducing media, choose high-quality educational programming and watch it with your child to help them understand what they are seeing.
2 to 5 Years: Limit screen use to a maximum of 1 hour per day of high-quality, age-appropriate content, and co-view with your children.
6 Years and Older: Establish consistent, personalized limits on screen time to ensure it does not displace sleep, physical activity, and other healthy, face-to-face behaviors.

Choose high-quality educational programming and watch it with your child to help them understand what they are seeing.

Last Thoughts

• Establishing rules and boundaries based on your research and lifestyle and staying consistent is the key to minimizing conflict with your children regarding screens and screentime. 
• Participating with your young children and modeling good screen practice behaviors are very important to establishing your family's expectations.
• Utilizing safety apps to guard against the dangers of the internet will help you in protecting your children from viewing inappropriate material and avoiding interactions with unwanted internet strangers.
• Handling issues with calm respectful answers and considering your child's developmental needs are critical for future discussions as your child grows older.

I hope this information helps you in establishing screen time rules, expectations, and routines for your family. I am interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below.