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My sister's daily screen time negotiations with her little one are something else

I keep noticing how every attempt to unplug turns into a full blown tantrum. It's like gadgets have taken over as the main source of family conflict lately. How do you guys manage to cut down on device use without all the fuss?
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3 Comments
taylor492
taylor49210d ago
What specific limits have you actually tried setting before handing over the tablet? I've found that surprise take-aways always cause a meltdown, but a clear timer set together sometimes works. That pre-agreement might cut down on the negotiation wars.
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david_foster25
Right! People hate surprises but accept fair warnings. That's why pre-agreements work everywhere.
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barbara_bailey
One thing I've noticed is that the content on the tablet really changes how kids react to timers. Like, if my son is in the middle of a building game, stopping at a random time causes fights. But if we agree he'll finish his current creation, he's way more willing to hand it over. Same with videos, we let the episode end naturally instead of cutting it off. It turns the timer into a natural break point rather than a sudden stop. Idk, maybe it's just me but linking the limit to the activity itself seems to work better than a generic clock.
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