MANAGING SCREEN TIME IN A PANDEMIC

♦ Be smart about what they’re doing online. Homework is fine, hours of Netflix less so. Try to keep the lines of communication open and agree time limits.

♦ Influence and persuade rather than control. Prof Peter Etchells cites research showing that whether parents were authoritarian or collaborative, it had the same result – their kids rebelled. But with a collaborative approach, kids were much more likely to talk about their screen use.

♦ Do not let screens impact on sleep. Most experts agree that screens should not stay in bedrooms overnight.

♦ Don’t be too hard on yourself. Most children are spending more time than usual on screens this year. Let them know that the rules may change when things go back to normal.

♦ Encourage children to take regular breaks, as excessive screen use has been linked to shortsightedness.

♦ Incentivise screen breaks and physical activity. Daniel Shin of Nottingham Trent University has created a tool that allows kids to earn screen time by exercising, arguing that it helps children feel empowered.

♦ Model good behaviour. Work out a plan as a family, and stick to it. That might include no phones at the dinner table, and no screens for an hour before bedtime. Says parenting expert Noël Janis-Norton: “Parents need to be brave and strong, and to be the captains of the ship.” Build in lots of special time together that doesn’t involve a screen.

Game play: parents are urged to work with children over screen use