We all know we can’t control what happens outside of our house, but CAN we?
Everyone’s gonna have a different take on this. This might feel micromanaging to you. Maybe you could have this conversation with some friends’ parents but not others. Maybe it would sound different. That’s fine! This is a starting point, not a script.
We all have non-negotiables about other people’s homes. Gun safety, pool safety, oversight, etc. If you have a non-negotiable about screen time, try to think of a way you can present it that is not a barrier to the other person. For example if your child is at a friends’ house for 5 hours so you can do a massive project, that. might not be the time to send a long list of preferences! But if your non-negotiable is “nothing horror, because my child will be terrified all night” that’s probably reasonable. When in doubt, I ask myself how I would feel hearing the request if the situation were reversed.
We can also lead with acknowledgment and flexibility. If we host a friend at our house, we can model the conversation we’d like to hear by asking “hey, is screen time ok? I was thinking I’d let them watch a half hour show after lunch, something on Netflix, PG rating, would that work for you?” or “I know Joey really wants to show off the Switch 2, is that something you’re ok with Hannah playing? If not, I’ll let Joey know ahead of time so it doesn’t come up.”
How have you handled this with playdates?
