Screen Time Check-In

by | Mar 14, 2019

Are you familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? I was first introduced to this theory while studying to be a teacher.

Maslow was an American psychologist. According to Wikipedia, his hierarchy of needs is a “theory of psychological health predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self-actualization.”

As humans we have needs, right? And our most basic needs need to be fulfilled before we can become better. Did you know that many people turn to addictive habits in order to fulfill a need? Sometimes we don’t even know we are doing it. Self-awareness is the first step to recognizing our addictive habits.

We basically took Maslow’s pyramid, turned it upside down, and simplified it, in order to create this Screen Time Check-In.

Before you spend any quality time with your smartphone, see if you can run through this list of questions to make sure you are putting your time and energy where it matters most.

And we’re working on this, too! If we were perfect, we wouldn’t have come up with this. (We created this list with our teen!)

You can print this out and put it by your charging station or take a screen shot and save it as your phone’s wallpaper to help you check-in throughout the day.

We hope these self-reflection questions help you to be more intentional about your screen time. We can do this!

Boost Your Child’s Mental Health into Adulthood—Delay the Smartphone

A new study shows that the older a person is when they get their first smartphone, the better their mental health in young adulthood.

Celebrating Screen-Free Week

Do you feel like your device controls you? Could you use a little jump-start to form better tech-habits? JOIN US for a screen free week from May 1st- May 7th! Screen-Free week is a world-wide invitation (led by Fairplay) to spend a week without using our digital...

It’s Been Five Years Since I Banned My Devices from the Bedroom

What started as an intention to be a better parent, turned into a five year journey of reclaiming my mornings and evenings from technology, and rediscovering what I call the Three R’s of resetting: rest, relationships, and rejuvenation.

Rethinking Screen Time Rewards

What’s wrong with a chore chart that allows our children to earn their screen time?

Three Ways You Can Tame the Frogs

What do frogs have to do with screens and tech? Click here to find out!

No Regrets: Prepping for a Cell Phone

As I talk with parents “just ahead of me” about screens and technology, I often hear the words: “I wish I would have waited.”

Feature Phone to Smart Phone: A Four-Phase Process

Check out our four-phase process to help your child ease into cell phone ownership!

How-to: Introduction to our Video Channel!

This how-to series will help you establish guidelines and boundaries for screen usage in your home. Join the conversation on YouTube or our IGTV channel!

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 designated charging station can actually simplify screen usage in your home.

Ready…or Not? A Cell-Phone-Ready Checklist to Use with Your Child

We are excited to share a helpful tool we’ve been using with our family: a simple Cell-Phone-Ready Checklist! This checklist provides tangible and concrete benchmarks to keep expectations clear as you and your child discuss cell phones.

Technoference: When Technology Gets in the Way

As I’ve been researching how my relationship with technology might affect my relationship with my kids, I came across an interesting term: technoference.

How-To: Setting Up a Feature Phone with Ting

Parents often ask us how to get started with a feature phone for their child or teen. Tyler is our in-house techie, and he recorded a quick video to show you how we use Ting as our cell phone service provider.

Is the Gizmo Gadget a Good Fit for Your Family?

Are you wondering if a simplified watch might the solution you’re looking for? Whitney Archibald of howshemoms.com shares her review of the Gizmo Gadget.

How Your Tech Guidelines Can Change As Your Children Grow with Kathy Keller Jones [Audio]

As our children get older, how do we give them more freedom with technology, but not give them free reign? Kathy Keller Jones, developmental psychologist and former kindergarten through eighth grade school counselor, shares her wisdom in this audio post.