Screen Time Limits by Age (The Real Numbers)
AAP guidelines are a starting point, not gospel. Real screen time limits depend on your kid, your schedule, and what the screens are replacing. Here are workable numbers for each age.
What Actually Works
- Write it down. Rules in your head are wishes. Rules on the fridge are policy.
- Involve your kid in writing it. Buy-in matters more than perfection.
- Hold the rule, not your mood. Consistency beats severity. Every time.
- Adjust quarterly. Rules that worked at 7 don't work at 9. Build in reviews.
- Model it. The kid whose parents are on screens at dinner won't believe in the no-screens-at-dinner rule.
Common Mistakes
- Setting rules without the structural changes to enforce them
- Negotiating every day instead of deciding once
- Different rules for parent vs. kid screens
- No clear consequence for breaking the rule
- Building rules around screen time totals instead of contexts
What to Include
- Specific time windows when screens are/aren't allowed
- Specific devices and apps covered
- Specific consequences for breaches
- Specific review schedule
- What everyone agrees to (including parents)
Tool: Screen Time Reset Workbook
A printable family workbook designed to reset screen habits without the daily battles. Includes a family agreement template, daily tracker, screen-free activity cards, and a 30-day reset plan. Built by a mom of two who fought the same fight in her own house first.
Shop direct (code WELCOME15 for 15% off) Or on EtsyOne thing: Your screen rules don't need to be the strictest on the block. They need to be the most consistent in your house. Boring beats brilliant.
The Bottom Line
Screen Time Limits by Age (The Real Numbers) works when it's specific, written, and held over time. The fancy rule that crumbles in week two is worse than the simple rule that holds for a year.