SAN ANTONIO – Parents trying to cut back on their children’s screen time should start sooner rather than later, according to a pediatric psychologist at Christus Children’s.
Dr. Kelli Franco, a pediatric psychologist at Christus Children’s, said the approach starts with avoiding sleep disruptions.
“The best time was yesterday and next best time is tonight,” Franco said, recommending that families slowly move their children’s sleep schedules back and make the bedroom a screen-free zone.
“There is no reason your kiddo needs their phone in their bed,” she said. “And if you’re using it as an alarm clock, go ahead and get an old-school alarm clock.”
Franco said ideally the whole bedroom would be screen-free, but he acknowledged that is not always practical. She said at minimum, beds and mealtimes should be off-limits for devices.
She also recommended that families create a designated spot where devices are physically placed when not in use, rather than relying on children to keep phones in their pockets.
“That way we all know, okay, this time of day is no longer a social media time,” Franco said. “This is the rule. This is how it goes. It’s not a punishment or a reward. These are the rules that we do to stay healthy.”
Franco said families should decide on the rules together, write them down and post them somewhere visible, such as on the refrigerator.
“You’re not the banker of the rules,” she said.
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