WEEKS ONE AND TWO

STEP 1 TURN IT OFF

This is going to sound harsh but, honestly, turning off the router – the magic box that brings the internet into your home – is the best (and simplest) way to start. Go on, turn it off, nothing bad will happen. Unplug it, hide it if necessary. The world will not stop turning. If you are slightly more tech savvy, you can set time limits on each device. I’m a bit of a geek so I gathered all the IP addresses from the devices in the house, opened up the security settings on the router, and set time limits on every device. It’s actually not that complicated. On the upside, when you’re not in the house the curfew happens automatically!

STEP 2 SET A CURFEW

At 7pm that’s it. Though if your children are studying for exams they will of course need flexibility. You will quickly see what your compulsion is. For me, I missed checking the news and looking at the weather. Yes, really. I’m British. There is no time in my day that I don’t want to assess the weather. What did I learn? The weather is still on the TV and coats repel rainwater. For my children, they might miss watching Youtube or a series on Netflix. End the curfew no earlier than 7am. The children get more sleep, have better levels of concentration in school and are generally less grumpy.

STEP 3 LIMIT YOUR CHILDREN’S MONTHLY DATA PLAN

This is a financial step too. We limited the data plans to 500mb. Just enough for most things but definitely enough to need wi-fi whenever it’s available if they want their allowance to last the month. Once I stopped unplugging the router, four days later all the children ran out of data. Suspicious eh? They had been sneaking phones upstairs and getting online, without realising they were using their own allowance.

STEP 4 NO TECH IN THE BEDROOM. FULL STOP

By the time you head to bed your melatonin levels should be building naturally. It may take a few weeks to resolve but resisting the urge for one last screen glance will help you get a much better night’s sleep. Ironically if you have a Fitbit, you can check your sleep pattern. After a week you’ll see less disturbance, a slightly lower heart rate and fewer ‘awake’ times. Spend at least two weeks following the evening curfew routine before moving to the next stage…

homework isn’t done the day before our day off you’re just going to have to get into trouble. If they know they’re going to a theme park the next day then, somehow, the homework will always be done. It’s a miracle. We ask for help with household chores on Saturdays. Doing homework means the kids get left in peace. Seems anything is preferable to making beds or standing outside holding a ladder.

STEP 6 FILL THE VOID

Go out somewhere that you wouldn’t normally use your tech. From experience these work for us... Best choices: Cinema, swimming, cycling, church, the pub, gardening. Second best: Museums, walking, visiting parks, visiting friends or grandparents. I have friends who regularly visit an artificial ski slope, which is a challenging environment to use a smartphone in. This isn’t something to do every diet day, but for the first four weeks it’s the best method of distancing yourself from temptation.

STEP 7 CREATE A FAMILY REWARD

The first week or two can be a novelty. Withdrawal can often kick in on the following weeks. We would buy a new movie to watch and have the DVD in the house to spur us through the week. Remember, everyone sitting down to watch a film is perfectly acceptable – what you’re trying to get away from is being squirrelled in their rooms.