How to talk to kids about screens, agree family rules that stick and handle the arguments.
Checking a younger child's phone can be part of keeping them safe, but how you do it matters. Here's what child safety charities suggest about being open, easing off as they grow, and what to do if you're worried.
Most online safety and family media experts say yes: charge it in another room. How to agree the rule without a row, what to do about alarms and music, and the iPhone and Android settings that back it up.
Start curious, not worried: ask what they use it for, explain that a chatbot isn't a person and can be wrong, agree what's okay for homework and privacy, and make sure they know who to talk to instead.
Agree a simple holiday plan with your kids before the break starts: a few screen-free anchors each day, clear 'screens after' rules, and a plan for friends' houses. Here's how to make it work without daily battles.
Agree the stopping point before they start, end at a natural break, have something to move on to, and stay calm if it still goes wrong. Practical tips by age.
Make it together, keep it short, include the adults and review it often. A step-by-step guide to a family screen agreement, with what to put in it.
