Mom here, feeling the pressure as winter break creeps up. My son’s already glued to his phone and video games too much. I’m worried about how it’s affecting his mood and focus. I know breaks are for relaxing, but I don’t wanna see him spend all his time staring at a screen. How do we even find balance?
Ugh, same here! Winter break feels like survival mode sometimes. My 9yo is obsessed with his Nintendo Switch. Honestly, I’ve tried everything, screen time limits, activity schedules, bribes, but it’s like the screens have some magnetic pull. It’s so hard when it’s cold and they can’t just go outside to burn energy. You’re definitely not alone.
With my older kids, I learned it’s about balance and boundaries. Breaks are for relaxing, sure, but we made a rule: 1 hour of “active” time for every hour of screen time. Doesn’t matter if it’s playing outside, building something, or even doing chores. At first, they pushed back, but over time, it stuck.
What’s worked for us is setting a daily screen time cap (2 hours max) and filling in the rest with something scheduled. I plan simple stuff like baking, puzzles, or art projects, and I even let my kids pick the activities. They’re less resistant that way. Also, we made a rule, no screens until after lunch, so mornings are for anything else.
Honestly, screens aren’t all terrible. My kids learned some cool stuff through educational games, like math and even geography. I think it’s about what they’re watching or playing. Maybe check out some apps or games that you can feel better about? Like a sneaky win, win!
Lol, my son legit said, “I can’t read a book because my thumbs only know how to hold controllers.” I couldn’t even be mad… just impressed at his excuse game. I’ve been trying to “trick” him into activities like LEGO challenges or board games Sometimes it works, sometimes I lose to Mario Kart
That’s exactly it! Games seem to pull him in harder. I try giving him alternatives, but he just shrugs them off as “boring.” I feel like I’m constantly fighting a losing battle… but then I think, is some screen time really that bad?
I get you 100% I swear, it’s like screens are the default setting now. My kid gets grumpy when I ask him to take a break, and honestly, I don’t even know what to replace it with. Do they even know how to be bored anymore?
Try introducing a family “screen free challenge” for an hour or two every day. No phones, no tablets, everyone together. It’s easier when you’re all on the same page. We’ve done game nights, silly dance battles, even just chatting over hot cocoa. It’s not perfect, but it helps break the habit a little.