Make them Earn Screen Time

What is Screen Time?

“Screen time” is the amount of time spent watching TV, DVDs, playing video games, using computers, iPads and Smartphones. A healthy lifestyle keeps screen time to an acceptable limit.

And now it’s school holidays and the kids screen time has gone into overdrive!

Here is a novel way of making sure that the kids days are balanced. It’s easy – they receive and use their 30 minute screen time tickets once a week and when they run out, they wait until next week!

Click here to print your FREE Screen Time Tickets to print out on paper or cardboard.

How Screen Time Works

Decide how many tickets your child will receive on a Sunday. Each Ticket is worth 30 minutes screen time so if you are happy for your child to have 1 hour of screen time per day, then give them 14 Tickets.
To use a ticket, the child must hand one to Mum or Dad who will set a timer for 30 minutes. If a sibling is watching TV and the child wants to join them, then they must hand in a ticket.

When the timer goes off, the child’s screen time is over.

Once a child has used all of their tickets, then they must wait until Sunday to receive more.

Tickets can only be used between certain hours. Over the school holidays you may stretch the period of time that the tickets can be used. If you are using them during the school term, then you might like to say that the tickets need to be used before 6pm (for example).

Mum and Dad may so ‘No’ at any time and may take tickets away for inappropriate behaviour. They may also give out extra tickets for extra good behaviour!

Remember that every family is different so if the rules above don’t really fit for you then tweak them so that they do!

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Jump Up Outdoors is a unique program that gets kids playing outdoors, away from screens and having fun.

We provide enticing outdoor play environments, with a wide variety of upcycled loose materials and then the children do what they do best…play! The result is hours and hours of unstructured play in which children imagine, create, develop their interests and passions and follow their instincts.

Jump Up Outdoors programs have been developed by a paediatric occupational therapist with over 25 years experience.

Comments

Megan Freeland says

August 17, 2016 at 2:21 pm

Hi Nicole, thank you for your advice and I will definitely check out your site and info. With a 9 years old, this screen time business is tricky stuff. We have been using the timer on the microwave…but I like your ticket idea. Thanks 🙂

- TheTechMum says
  
  August 17, 2016 at 2:35 pm
  
  Thanks Megan! I’d love to hear how the tickets work out for you if you decide to use them. Enjoy the website! Cheers, Nic
  
Nicola says

August 17, 2016 at 3:16 pm

A great idea! My kids are a little bit young to get the concept, but sounds like a great technique when they’re older!