Healthy Screen Time Habits for Your Family

Young children love spending time on their tablets and other devices. The fascination with electronic devices makes it challenging to create healthy screen time habits for your family. But it’s possible to manage your child’s screen time in a way that promotes healthy habits—and fun.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can create healthy screen time habits for your family. By following these tips, you can balance your child’s technology use with other important activities.
Screen Time Rules: Managing the Digital Diet
In this section, we’ll discuss the importance of setting clear screen time rules and give some guidelines for creating effective rules for your family.
Why Set Screen Time Rules? For starters, there may be a link between excessive screen time and health issues in young children. Poor sleep, obesity, and behavioural problems are all conditions associated with excessive screen time. When you set clear rules about screen time, you can help your children develop healthy habits that they can use throughout their lives.
Additionally, setting rules can help reduce conflicts between you and your children. If you have a clear plan in place, your kids will know what to expect and be less likely to argue about screen time limits.
Tips for Creating Screen Time Rules That Work
When creating screen time rules, it’s important to consider your child’s age and developmental stage. Younger children usually need more guidance and supervision. Older kids may be able to handle more screen time independence.
Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when creating your family’s screen time rules:
- Involve your children
- Be consistent
- Lead by example
Once you’ve set your rules, be consistent in enforcing them. Consistency helps your kids know what to expect and prevents arguments or confusion. Involve your kids in the process. By involving your kids in creating the rules, you’ll be more likely to get their buy-in and cooperation.
Lead by example. Remember that your kids are always watching, so be sure to model healthy screen time habits yourself. By following these guidelines, you can help your kids develop healthy relationships with technology. So go ahead and set those rules – your kids will thank you for it!

Unplugged and Happy: Promote Screen Free Time
In today’s digital age, it’s easy to lose track of how much time we spend using technology and forget about the world around us. Limiting screen time has health benefits but can also help improve family relationships. Without the distraction of screens, families can focus on each other. Here are some fun screen-free activities you might want to try:
Get Outside
Plan a hike, bike ride, or playtime in the backyard. Getting outside is a great way to enjoy nature and get some exercise.
Board Games
Break out classic board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Cluedo. There’s nothing like a night of family-friendly competition!
Art and Crafts
Get creative with some art and craft projects. Try painting, drawing, or making homemade jewellery.
Cooking or Baking
Get the whole family involved in the kitchen and whip up some delicious meals or baked goods together. Why not make some of these favourite biscuit recipes!
Playing Sports
Head to the local park for a game of soccer. Consider putting up a basketball hoop and challenging the kids to a game of Around the World.
Reading
Curl up with a good book. Have family reading time.
Family Outings
Visit a museum, go to the beach, or have a family picnic. Don’t forget to try new family activities. Take turns choosing something the family hasn’t done together yet.
Remember, screen-free time doesn’t have to be boring. With a little creativity and planning, you can come up with plenty of fun activities to enjoy as a family. It might surprise you to discover how much fun you can have without technology!
Be a Screen Time Detective
Monitoring screen time doesn’t have to be a chore. Why not make it a fun and interactive experience for the whole family? Here are some tips on how to become a screen time detective:
Use a Tracking App
You can find plenty of different apps that can help you track your family’s screen time usage. Some apps even allow you to set limits and reminders to help everyone stay on track.
Create a Screen Time Chart
Chore charts are popular right now, but why not make a fun chart that tracks everyone’s screen time usage? Use stickers and other fun rewards to encourage everyone to stay within their screen time limits.
Use a Timer
Set a timer for your child’s screen time usage and make it fun by using a fun sound or animation when time is up. Timers can help your child learn to self-regulate their screen time usage.
Create a Reward System
Create a fun reward system for your child to earn screen time and other privileges. Young children can earn points for doing chores or completing homework. Let them use those points to earn extra screen time.
Have a Weekly Family Meeting
Set aside time each week to discuss everyone’s screen time usage. Make it a fun and interactive experience by sharing funny stories or challenges that arose during the week.
Be an Inspiring Screen Time Role Model
Children learn from watching us, so if we want them to develop healthy screen time habits, we need to lead by example. Here are five tips to help you be an inspiring screen time role model for your children:

Set Boundaries for Yourself
Just like we set boundaries for our children, we need to set boundaries for ourselves. Try to limit your own screen time usage and be mindful of when and where you use your devices.
Practise Mindfulness
When you do use your devices, practise mindfulness. Be present in the moment and avoid mindless scrolling through social media or other apps.
Screen-Free Meals
Make meal times a screen-free zone. Use this time to connect with your family and have meaningful conversations.
Use Screen Time Together
Instead of using screens as a distraction, use them as a tool for bonding. You can use watching TV with family as an alternative to time spent on a tablet. Watch a movie together as a family.
Recommended Screen Times for Young Children
Many young children in Australia spend too much time using electronic devices. Electronic devices can be a great tool for learning and entertainment. Too much screen time can have negative effects on children’s physical and mental health. Here’s what the Australian Institute of Family Studies suggests:
- Children under two should not spend any time on electronic devices.
- Children between the ages of 2-5 can enjoy up to one hour of screen time each day.
- From the ages of 5 up to 17, kids should be on-screen for no more than two hours every day.
It’s important to note that these are just guidelines, and you know your child best. Some kids may be able to handle more screen time than others, and it’s up to you to decide what works best for your family.
Time to Build New Healthy Screen Time Habits
We hope this article on healthy habits and screen time has been helpful and informative. Remember, the key to healthy screen time habits for young children is finding the right balance that works for your family.
Here at Nutura Organic, we’re all about spreading the word. If you’d like more information on raising healthy kids, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out today!
Please note: This article is designed to provide general advice to parents and guardians. For specific health advice, please consult your child’s healthcare practitioner.