How to plan screen time together

Before you start

• Pick a calm time, not right after an argument about phones.
• Sit side by side and use one screen.
• Allow about 20–30 minutes. You can stop partway, and your progress is saved.
• Agree on one rule: each person gets to finish speaking.

Step 1: Play a situation together

Each situation follows Sam and their parent, Alex, who are made-up characters. Read it out loud. Before tapping, each say which choice you would pick and why. Then choose one together.

Read "What happens" and "Talk about it". These show possibilities, not guarantees, so treat them as a starting point for talking.

Step 2: Connect it to your own home

After each situation, ask one of these:

• "Does this ever happen to us?"
• "What did Sam feel? What did Alex feel?"
• "What would you have wanted in that moment?"

Parents: share an example of your own phone use too. It helps your child feel it's fair.

What each situation can open up

1. Saturday morning: Who decides how the morning starts?
2. Making a plan: How can both of you suggest something?
3. When a phone interrupts: What should happen when a phone buzzes during family time?
4. One more thing: How do you finish a game or message fairly?
5. Friends are online: How do friends fit into your plans?
6. The plan changes: What do you do when plans change?
7. Different ideas of fun: How can you find something you both enjoy?
8. An interrupted conversation: How do you show you're listening?
9. Stopping is hard: What makes stopping easier?
10. Making the next plan: What will you try next time?

Step 3: Agree on next steps

On the end screen, make a small plan you both agree to:

1. One routine: for example, phones stay in the kitchen during breakfast.
2. One shared activity: ten minutes together, each suggesting one idea.
3. One "what if": what you'll do if an important message arrives.
4. One check-in: a day to ask "How did that go?"

Keep it short. If you don't agree straight away, that's fine. Pick something you can both try for a week and talk again.

Tips that keep it friendly

• Talk about choices, not people. Nobody is "bad" for picking a choice.
• Let your child go first sometimes.
• Replay the game later and see if your answers change.