Bring Back The Rules As Kids Get Ready To Get Back to School

During the summer break, it is highly likely that you and your children went slightly overboard with the screen time. There is nothing to sweat about, research published by Forbes has revealed that during the summer break most of the kids watch way more Television than usual, spend long hours playing video games, engage in web browsing and watch endless movies, however it is not completely bad for kids.

As the time to get back to school is here, parents rush to find premium quality school supplies for their teenagers. They often look for exciting deals on school supplies on online marketplaces like Kaymu or other sites like HalloMall that offer cheap bags and other school accessories. Once parents get all the supplies in place, another issue starts to bother them, how to re-establish the limit on the amount of screen time the kids are allowed once the school reopens.

There is nothing to worry about, follow these strategies to prepare your teens for school and enforce limits on the screen time from TV to video games to dreaded tablet computers:

One last blast before the school starts:

The best way to bring the rules is to plan a whole day with unlimited screen time for kids and you. Make it fun, cook an exciting meal and involve the whole family. You can either plan a day where you watch back to back movies with the teens, or challenge them in a video game marathon or stream their favorite shows and watch them together as a family.

This will be a fun way to bid farewell to those long holidays and its routine and a signal to your teenagers that now they will have a very limited screen time.

Communication is the key:

The best way to bring back the old rules is by communicating effectively with the kids as it prepares them ahead of time. Before the school year begins, it is a good idea to give your kids the ‘talk’ about how their routine will change once the school commences. Inculcate the idea of balance in them, that once the school begins they are supposed to balance a range of activities including studying, spending time with family and playing video games and watching television.

Start reducing the screen time before the school commences:

In order to settle your kids down in their old routine, it is a good idea to start implementing the rules a week before the school begins.  Start enforcing the bedtime, make them switch off the video games, TV or any other electronic device before they get ready to hit the bed.

Be a role model for your children:

The most important advice is that rules do not only apply to the kids, but you should also follow them. Parents are the most influential role models according to the renowned researcher Karen Stephens, so if your kids see you sneaking the smartphone to bed or playing video games late at night, they will also breach the rules. Be the role model so your kids can follow in your footsteps and adopt healthy habits.