How to Maintain a Balanced Screen Time Routine for Kids in the Holiday Season?

Dec 29, 2022 | Parental Controls

The holiday season brings more than merriment and joy to us every winter. Even the most festive and happiest people get exhausted from shopping for presents, traveling around, and arranging get-togethers. The schools close for the winter, and kids’ daily routines get disrupted.

Many kids look forward to spending time away from schoolwork and burying their faces in screens. That is because they may find all the hustle and bustle, an abundance of events, and changes in routines overwhelming or less enjoyable. Planning ahead and managing kids’ interaction with screens using a screen limit app is a smart move for digital parents.

Why Stick to Routines?

When kids have too much free time and not a lot to do, they get bored quite easily and nag their parents for screen time. With so many preparations going on for the holidays, parents do not have enough energy to keep their kids entertained and busy without screens. Consequently, they succumb to kids’ temper tantrums and allow access to screen time more than usual, which makes parenting a herculean task during the holiday season.

It is wiser to create a flow of routine before the holidays begin. For instance, you can allow a relaxed early morning routine for kids and remember to maintain a structure of activities throughout the day. That helps provide screen-free opportunities and tasks for kids, and they won’t spend the entire time playing with their devices. But, how can parents strike a balance between screen time and other activities for their kids? We have a few ideas you can try.

How to Balance Kids’ Screen Time Routine During Holidays?

You can begin by creating screen-free alternatives such as outdoor activities, indoor games, arts & crafts, cooking/baking together, and so on. Make it more interesting by devising a screen time routine and remember to include some physical/outdoor activities. You can try using a screen limit app like the FamilyTime app to make a better/more productive schedule.

Parents can also try different parenting strategies, e.g., the ‘when and then’ technique. Tell the kids they can have thirty minutes of screen time when they take a bath, do their chores, read a book, engage in physical activities, etc.

Indeed, kids will push your buttons and test your patience. However, if you don’t stand your ground and keep your word, kids will throw tantrums more often and overpower your decisions. That said, let’s look at some fun activities you can do with kids this holiday season.

How to Have Fun with Kids This Holiday Season?

Create Your Own Family Traditions

The holiday season brings out the best in us. Families who value traditions follow in the footsteps of their elders, while many create their own family traditions. The holiday routines, greetings, get-togethers, family games, and recipes, are all part of family traditions.

You can combine new with old and make your very own fun-filled family traditions. For instance, playing a specific game, cooking a particular recipe with kids, holding talent shows, wrapping presents a certain way, etc., the sky is the limit.

Mix Old-school Family Games with Modern Ones

People love to get together during the holidays and hold huge feasts. They like playing games at big gatherings. Variations of charades, card games, and board games are a few classics that have become a tradition of the holiday season. You can mix the old with the new and have fun with it.

For example, instead of playing old-school charades by acting out a phrase or a part, you can try playing charades by incorporating screens. Holding a smartphone with the charades app to your forehead and letting others act out the words/phrases is a lot more fun.

Try Cooking/Baking Together

Another way to have fun with kids in the holidays is by letting them cook. You can cook simple recipes together like baking a pie or cookies. Let them bring you the ingredients or mix them in the bowl. It will defeat their boredom and you will be able to manage their screen time better.

Still, Having Trouble Managing Screen Time?

A screen limit app such as FamilyTime can help you create a better routine for kids. It offers features like screen time limit and screen time schedule that allow parents to specify the time for various activities and ensure kids would not use screens during that time. So, try using the app, let loose, and have fun with kids this holiday season!