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>Our goal is to have a healthy balance in screen time >and real time. The good thing is all my kids are >active so I don't have to worry as much about them >becoming zombies to their devices. My fourteen year >old and twelve year old both have their own phones and >we just got one for the ten year old. All their phones >have the appropriate parental protections. Prior to >getting his phone, my youngest Brian also has a >tabled. All three of the or I should say four >counting my adult daughter have their own laptops. >There are also game systems. My kids do play Roblox >but there are common sense rules about their screen >time vs. time in the real world. > >When they come home from school, HOMEWORK FIRST. The >kids do have Chromebooks assigned to them by the >schools and use them as directed. > >Family time/meal time, NO KID's DEVICES. No >exceptions. To go along with that, they are expected >to show courtesy. Including putting the device down >and actually engage us in conversation when we are >talking to them. > >In addition to have a Curfew when they have to be in >for the night, they also have an ELECTRONICS CURFEW. >We have a shelf in the kitchen where we have a >charging station and all devices are turned in and put >on their chargers thirty minutes before bedtime. That >includes games. They are allowed to watch tv until >bedtime, but at bedtime tvs also go off. > >If my kids are out and about NO GHOSTING. If their >Daddy or I try to call or text them and they don't >respond, They lose their phone. I do check up on them >when they're out and expect them to answer. > >No ILLICIT use of devices and no online bullying. I >think that goes without explanation. Even with child >protections on the phones and other devices, nothing >is foolproof. So we have an honor system. If our kids >break those rules They will get their butts busted and >lose their electronics for a time. If they are >Illegally accessing anything, they lose them for good. >So far they have not put that rule to the test, >because they know how serious we are about it. My >daughter especially knows because she was cyber >bullied once which led to a couple of girls at her >school being suspended. It turned out that those same >girls almost caused another girl at the school to harm >herself. > > >They have a few light chores to do around the house. >Such as picking up after themselves, cleaning up after >themselves the bathrooms and other common areas of the >house. so they have to do that. If I tell or ask them >to do something, If they are using their devices at >the time, they know they are supposed to put the >device down and get it done. > >As an adult, we also limit our screen time, because >it's hypocritical for an adult to put rules on their >children that don't apply. So during family time and >meal time our phones get put down too. We don't shut >them off in case of emergency but we don't keep our >noses in our screens either. While I'm a stay at home >Momma, I do work from home part time. So there are >times I might have to do some work for clients but I >limit that time. > >As far as punishment goes, If the kids break the rules >established for devices, those devices are taken away. >Also if they are grounded as opposed to being spanked >for a punishment. In addition to remaining at home, >they are grounded from their phones and games. If they >get caught trying to sneak, well their bare bottoms >will pay the price for that. > >We don't exercise rigid rules about screen time but we >do have some rules about that are mostly common sense >and common courtesy, and for the most part, the kids >do follow those rules, because it makes them feel good >to know that we show them we trust them and we will >trust them unless they give us a reason not to.

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