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Family rules

Screen time rules for kids that are easy to follow — and easy to enforce

Updated · For parents

The short answer

Good screen time rules are few, written down, and cover four things: where screens are allowed, when they're off, how much recreational time is available, and what happens when time runs out. Current AAP guidance emphasizes what screens crowd out — sleep, activity, family time — rather than a single magic number.

Start from what the pediatricians now say

In 2026 the American Academy of Pediatrics published a new policy statement on children and digital media. Its core message is that "media and children" can't be viewed through screen limits alone — design, content, family relationships and what screens displace all matter (AAP policy statement, 2026). The AAP's family-facing "5 C's" put it simply: think about your Child, the Content, how they Calm down, what media is Crowding out, and keep Communicating (HealthyChildren.org).

That doesn't mean "no rules." It means your rules should protect the things that matter most, then leave room for your child to practice managing the rest.

Ten rules that work for most families

  1. No screens at meals. The AAP suggests mealtimes and bedrooms as good places to start screen-free time (AAP).
  2. Screens off an hour before bed, and devices charge outside the bedroom overnight.
  3. Responsibilities first. Homework and agreed chores come before recreational screens on school days.
  4. A clear daily amount of recreational screen time — the same number every school day, so there's nothing to argue about.
  5. A visible balance. Your child should be able to see how much time is left without asking.
  6. Parents choose the apps that count. Messaging family, maps and school tools can stay open.
  7. When time's up, it's up. No "five more minutes" negotiations; if you allow extensions, make them a rule (for example, borrowing against tomorrow).
  8. Consequences are stated in advance — and come with a way to earn time back.
  9. Parents follow the family rules too. The AAP encourages parents to model habits by putting phones down at meals and bedtime.
  10. Review monthly. Adjust together as your child shows they can handle more.

Write it down

A written family agreement turns rules into a shared reference instead of a parent's mood. The AAP offers a free interactive Family Media Plan, and we've made a printable family screen-time agreement you can fill in together.

Make enforcement boring

The hardest part of any rule is the moment it's enforced. The less that moment depends on you personally saying "no," the less there is to argue about. That's why automatic limits — Apple's built-in Screen Time, or an app built on top of it — work better than a kitchen timer. See our walkthrough of Apple Screen Time with Family Sharing.

How Sprigtime helps

Sprigtime is built to make rules 3 through 8 automatic:

  • Responsibilities first: kids earn minutes for chores, homework and routines you define.
  • A clear daily amount: set a daily allowance and a daily maximum.
  • Visible balance and ledger: kids see exactly what's left and why.
  • Apps pause at zero: only the apps you pick, using Apple's Screen Time technology.
  • Borrowing, if you allow it: a small advance on tomorrow, repaid automatically.
  • Consequences with a way back: a parent can deduct minutes for a behavior and offer a task to earn them back. A parent PIN protects every parent control.
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Frequently asked questions

How much screen time should my child have?

For children under 5, the World Health Organization recommends no sedentary screen time before age 2 and no more than 1 hour a day for ages 2–4. For school-age children, the AAP's 2026 guidance focuses on content and what screens crowd out, rather than one number. See our screen time by age guide for details and sources.

What are good screen time rules for a 10-year-old?

Keep screens out of meals and the hour before bed, put homework and chores first, set a fixed daily amount of recreational time, and make the remaining balance visible so your child can manage it themselves.

How do I enforce screen time rules without fighting?

Agree on the rules in advance, write them down, and let an automatic limit do the enforcing. When the device pauses apps at zero, the conversation is about how to earn more time, not whether you're being fair.

Sources

  1. Munzer T, et al.; AAP Council on Communications and Media. “Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Policy Statement.” Pediatrics, 157(2), February 2026.
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org — “Kids & Screen Time: How to Use the 5 C’s of Media Guidance.”
  3. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org — “Helping Kids Thrive in a Digital World: AAP Policy Explained” (2026).
  4. American Academy of Pediatrics — Family Media Plan (free interactive tool).
  5. World Health Organization — “To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more” (Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5, 2019).

This page is general information for parents, not medical advice. Talk with your child’s pediatrician about your family’s situation.