This post is sponsored by our friends at Google. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

How to Change the Narrative with Your Kids Surrounding Device Usage

When I have conversations with other parents surrounding our kids using devices, those conversations aren’t always positive. We all want our kids to use devices less, but the reality is that they are apart of our everyday lives. 84% of kids ages 6-12 are using tablets on a weekly basis. The negative talk surrounding devices often trickles down to our children. Unfortunately, that can make them feel guilt surrounding using devices and screen time, and then we feel guilty as parents. But what if there was a way to change the conversation from negative to positive?! Thankfully, there is! Most of the time using a device isn’t negative, so we have to change the conversations surrounding device usage and the words we choose to use with our children. We need our devices for everyday things – like to help with homeschool & school work, educational videos, and for my children to communicate with me when I’m away. 

I want to share a personal story with you guys as a mom, which made me realize I had to change the way screen time is consumed in my home. I know many of you are aware that my family has been television free for over a decade now. For those of you who don’t know, we cut the cord with television over ten years ago and never looked back. Most of the time my home is pretty quiet, and the kids find other things to keep them busy. We do however watch movies and educational programs on the computer or tablets, and yes, my kids play games on their devices. There was a time when I was constantly telling my kids no when they asked to use their tablets. I thought that the best way to give them breaks from screen time was to just deny. I was wrong! It wasn’t about punishment, but I didn’t have any healthy limits set in place for device usage. This made my children turn to sneaking their tablets when it’s not even necessary. I don’t want my children to feel like they need to sneak when they aren’t even doing anything wrong. I would find my middle son with a tablet under his pillow, but he’d be watching educational shows about insects! So I had to have necessary constructive conversations with my kids and check myself to change how I see device usage from negative to positive. 

Setting Healthy Limits 

Like many of you, for the summer device usage was almost a free for all in my home. I also didn’t have any real way to place limits on usage other than just telling my kids to return all of their devices at a certain time. Now that school is back in session, there have to be limits placed on screen time. What are we using our tablets or phones for? When can they be used and why? This is where the Family Link app from Google comes into play. I introduced you guys to Family Link just a few months ago, giving you an overview of how it works. But here is a look into how I’m utilizing the app with my kids. 

Daily Time Limits 

The Family Link app from Google lets me set and customize daily time limits for my kids devices. When their time is up, the device is locked, but they can make calls if necessary. This is perfect for our homeschool schedule. Once the kids have done their school work I give them some tablet time. I set limits on how long they can use their devices, and once that time is up, they know that it’s time to move on to something else. I can loosen those limits for the weekend where I give them more freedom to use their tablets and phones. 

Approved Downloads 

This feature is important because my youngest two children like to download and delete apps a lot! I can remotely approve or decline the apps my kids want to download from the Google Play Store. 

Bedtime

Even though I typically collect all devices at bedtime, there are definitely days that I forget or a tablet slips through the cracks. The Family Link app from Google lets you set a bedtime for your child’s device so that they won’t be distracted when it’s time for sleep. This is perfect for my middle son, since he likes to watch insect videos when he can’t sleep! 

The Family Link app from Google has so many features, that I could talk about it all day! These are just a few of the ways that I use the app for my family to create healthy digital habits and change the conversations surrounding device usage from negative to positive. I feel like I’m creating a safer online environment for my children and I feel more in control of what they are consuming online. Be sure to find out more and download the Family Link app from Google HERE! 

What ways can you look at tech use for your family in a positive light?