Want to boost your child's mental health into adulthood? Delay the smartphone. A recent study...
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Celebrating Screen-Free Week
Do you feel like your device controls you? Could you use a little jump-start to form better...
It’s Been Five Years Since I Banned My Devices from the Bedroom
Keeping all of my devices out of the bedroom started with one simple motivation: I wanted to model...
Is 3 Hours of Gaming Per Day Really a Good Idea for Our Kids?
Recently Adam Grant, a thought leader with over one million followers, posted his...
Is Your Teen Begging for BeReal?
Lots of pre-teens and teens are using (or asking for!) the social media app BeReal. The app has...
17 Summers: Screen Time Sanity Through All Ages & Stages
17 summers. That’s how long I’ve been at this—working to keep my kids playing, giggling, dreaming,...
Why We Don’t Use a Teen Cell Phone Contract—and What We Do Instead
In 2017, during a crazy cross-country move, my husband Tyler and I, handed over an abandoned...
Trust Your Gut—Five Ways Parents Can Lean into Their Intuition and Safeguard Their Kids Online
Five years ago I phoned a friend asking for advice on how to keep my kids safe on devices. My kids...
Which Kid-Safe Smartphone is Right For Your Family?
Phone it in to us—we’ve done the heavy lifting for you! This post contains affiliate links. We’ve...
Battle Prep & Bubble Wrap—Two Types of Tech Talks That Will Save Your Kids
We’re the family who kept the TV in the closet for over a decade; pulling it out only for the...
The Gryphon Router Makes Robust Parental Controls a Breeze
When is the last time you adjusted any settings on your router? How about using your router to...
Is My Teen Ready for a Cell Phone?
*This article was originally published on February 19, 2019. We have updated it with additional...
Replacing Likes on Your Phone with Love in Your Home
Dopamine is a chemical produced by our brains that plays a big part in how we feel. Certain...
Why We Love Turing Tumble
A Screen-free Educational Game With all of the toys and games available to our kids today it's...
Our Family’s Screen-Free Gift Guide
After years of storing our TV in the closet, living in a small home, and losing most of our...
How to Create Your Own Family Blackout Night
We include instructions, ideas for your blackout box, and printable invitations in our Family...
Three Ways to Connect With Your Teenagers
This is a guest post from Jessica Rydalch. Jessica originally shared these tips as part of a...
Easy Isn’t Always Best: Take Back the Family Road Trip
For more than a decade we lived over 1,500 miles from most of our extended family. Every summer,...
Rethinking Screen Time Rewards
It's possible you've seen (or used!) a chore or routine chart that includes a checklist of chores...
Career Guidance: An Opportunity to Connect With Your Teen
The following is a guest post from Heather Glenn of alignedambition.com. As soon as we discovered...
Work With Your Kids to Plan a Fun Summer (Technology Boundaries Included!)
Create a Summer Screen Time Plan together. We want to give our kids ownership in the process. By...
Interview with Spencer Sessions: The Reality of a Virtual Reality
We’re Starting a Virtual Book Group!
We’re starting a super relaxed book group for parents! The topic: technology and kids. Each month...
The Reality of a Virtual Reality
My purpose is to provide understanding, hope, and direction for anyone who feels stuck in the...
Master or Slave? Evaluate Your Technology Use
Many parents tell me they aren't sure where to start when it comes to managing screen time in...
Help Us Fix App Ratings
We are supporting a NEW movement called #fixappratings and we would love your help! The Fix App...
Should I Tighten or Loosen My Grip?
Do you ever feel scary, crazy, clueless, or controlling when it comes to technology and your kids?...
Ten Practical Tips for Parents from Dr. Dimitri Christakis
Over the past year, I've read countless books and articles about screen time. You'll notice that...
Is the Gizmo Gadget a Good Fit for Your Family?
At Better Screen Time, our goal is to provide you with ideas and options so you can make the best...
Screen Time Check-In
Are you familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? I was first introduced to this theory while...
How to Help Your Teen Transition to a Smartphone
As parents we have to decide when, or if, our teens will have the privilege of using a smartphone....
10 Easy, Screen-Free Ideas to Help You Connect with Your Kids Today
The following is a guest post from Lyndsey Wells of Boy Moms Unite. "Screen time" is...
What I’m Doing Differently Because of Digital Minimalism
Cal Newport is well known for his research on the topic of focused, meaningful work. But after...
Create a Family Technology Plan + Parent/Teen Pledge, Not a Cell Phone Contract
When cell phones met teenagers, cell phone contracts became a thing. It’s a common way for parents...
Reset! 15 Independent Screen-Free Activities to Keep Our Kids Playing
Have you ever found yourself in a screen time slump? My husband and I made the decision to keep...
Irresistible: How We Can Outsmart Technology Addiction
Irresistible, might look like it’s going to make you panic or want to throw your phone out the...
What Are Your Daily Bookends?
Do you have an established morning and evening routine? Have you tried leaving tech out of...
Set This Simple Limit to Expand Connection, Close Gaps, and Get Life Immediately Looking Up by Rachel Macy Stafford
One of my favorite parenting mentors, Rachel Macy Stafford, recently published an article on her...
Top Communities to Help You Confidently Raise Kids in a Digital World
As we’ve researched the topic of screen time over the past year, we have discovered some trusted...
Action-Takers—Making the Family Tech Think Tank Happen!
If you've downloaded our free guide to creating your own Family Tech Think Tank and you need some...
Tips for Teaching Teens With Technology with The Mom Life Coach
A few weeks ago I connected with another mom who is also helping parents to have the tools they...
How-To: Use OpenDNS as a Starting Point for Internet Filtering
OpenDNS is a DNS server that provides filtered DNS for free. DNS (Domain Name Service) is the...
Three Key Steps to Permanently Improve Your Family Screen Time
We are real parents. We will be the first to admit that we are not perfect. That means that...
Our Screen-Free Gift Guide (including our family’s initiation gifts!)
Almost two years ago our family moved across the country from the Midwest to the Pacific...
Five Strategies to Help Your Family Fight Technology Addiction
When I was around age ten, I remember my parents telling me that it would be best if I completely...
Printable: Our Four-Phase Process
To print this image, just right-click and "Save image as..." and download to your device and...
Three Concrete Ideas to Carry Your Family Through Rough Waters
I do not know how to sail, but I live near the Columbia River where time on the water is a way of...
Using Everyday Steps to Help You Put Technology in Its Proper Place
Over the past year I’ve read a lot of books, articles, and blog posts about screen time. I’ve...
iOS 12 Screen Time Controls
With the update to iOS 12, those with Apple devices will have an easier time monitoring and...
Glow Kids: Research that will Motivate You to Create a Plan
How do you choose which parenting books you will read? I’ll be honest, if any book looks like it...
Am I Ready for a Personal Device? {A Self-Evaluation for Teens}
{Note: This image only shows part of the list!} How do you decide when your child is ready for...
![How Your Tech Guidelines Can Change As Your Children Grow with Kathy Keller Jones [Audio]](https://www.betterscreentime.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/DSC_2343-400x250.jpg)
How Your Tech Guidelines Can Change As Your Children Grow with Kathy Keller Jones [Audio]
How do you adapt your family technology guidelines as your children grow older? As a parent of...
How-To: Setting Up a Feature Phone with Ting
Setting Up a Phone on Ting Parents often ask us how to get started with a feature phone for their...
Technoference: When Technology Gets in the Way
Since the first iPhone debuted in 2007, personal devices have become mainstream. And while it...
Ready…or Not? A Cell-Phone-Ready Checklist to Use with Your Child
After reading No Regrets: Prepping for a Cell Phone, do you think your child may be ready for a...
How-to: Set Up a Family Charging Station (and why!)
Your family charging station serves a more important purpose than charging your device! See how a...
How-to: Introduction to our Video Channel!
https://youtu.be/dPIxNr_sRPU This how-to series will help you establish guidelines and...
Feature Phone to Smart Phone: A Four-Phase Process
Do you remember when your child was just learning to walk? Or perhaps when they learned to turn a...
No Regrets: Prepping for a Cell Phone
As I talk with parents “just ahead of me" and learn from my own experiences with a teenager, I...
Three Ways You Can Tame the Frogs
In my early 20s I lived in the Dominican Republic as a missionary. One night, myself and...