5 phrases to make ending screen time easier
That you can change as you need to!
I feel like you can tell if someone has recently raised kids by how they talk about transitions. If you’re like me, transitions in your family are HARD. Sometimes they’re hard for my kid, sometimes they’re hard for me, sometimes it’s a whole family affair.
Here are some simple suggestions for ways to ease that transition. Instead of focusing on my exact phrasing, though, focus on what the underlying concept is so you can make it your own:
Redirect with competition. Not all kids like competition, but my kid will ALWAYS respond well to a race, and it makes it an easy way to pivot from something like video games or TV.
Feign ignorance. Pretend to have never seen a controller or a remote before. Kids love to have knowledge that we don’t and they definitely love getting to show off that knowledge.
Transition with a story. Even if the connection is superficial at best, using a story to help transition away from screens immediately gives kids something else to think about and it also sets the tone for connection as opposed to a power struggle over the remote.
Similar to a race, turn the transition into a challenge. Can they put the iPad away AND turn it off before you get to the table?
Connection. If something is important to them, be curious. Maybe you’ll realize they’ve been putting in an hour of effort and haven’t gotten to see a payoff. Maybe you’ll see a skill they’re working on that you can praise.
What you may notice about the above is that these phrases are ways to keep the mood light and more likely to build connection, as opposed to punitive or threatening.
Now does this mean we aren’t holding a boundary with these phrases? Absolutely not! We can hold a boundary playfully, and these strategies facilitate that. Instead of threatening to turn it off in 3, 2, 1… you can challenge them to make it to the table before you do (and maybe walk a little slower than you need to if you’re feeling generous). It’s still a boundary, but it’s presented very differently. Think of it as the difference between “seatbelts must be fastened during takeoff” and “everyone has to fasten their seatbelt right now!”.
Do you have any sneaky tricks that help with screen transitions?