The Experiment That Changed How We Do Screens

We’ve had this ‘no screens in the bedroom’ rule for years. One more benefit to add to the ones mentioned - we all read books in bed now, something which I had stopped doing when I had a phone nearby.

Get an old-school alarm clock. Banish your phone to the kitchen and make your teenagers (yes, make them, they will fuss and then they’ll get it) banish theirs too. You won’t regret it.

Responses

David Sewell McCann EdD

I’d love for you all to write about fearing our children’s wrath when we change the plan. I hear this often from parents and feel it myself sometimes—the bracing associated with saying “no” to a teenager. My guess is that it is a restorying rather than a “new rules” moment, but I’d love to hear your sound advice on this front.

I was annoyed to have to walk downstairs to plug in, especially when I want to talk to a friend before bed. But I think it’s actually worth it. It’s great to have quiet, and I don’t just start checking stuff as soon as I wake up.

Grand-Parenting

Noteworthy approach! 🩵🩵

Brian Fitzgerald

This one made me nervous. It made me wonder, could I even manage this myself, let alone get my kids to buy in?

I’m struggling with it. I suggest you read it today if you’re struggling as a parent with how to handle screens in your household for your kids.

Matt Robison

This made me nervous. It made me wonder, could I even manage this myself, let alone get my kids to buy in?

Meghan Fitzgerald

Hot take: The rules we make FOR kids land totally differently than the rules we make WITH them.

Instead of enforcing the expert-endorsed "no screens in the bedroom" rule, we co-designed a family experiment inspired by it. Turns out, the process itself taught our family of 5 more than 30 days of compliance ever could have.