Often, families have different agreements regarding screen time during the work week, when there is school and other obligations, and for weekends, holidays or vacations, when there is more free time. Adolescents often want to spend a little more time playing games or watching videos on their off-days than they usually do during the week. This kind of arrangement makes sense, since everyone likes to spend time on their favorite activities during the free days. If playing video games, chatting via Snapchat or watching anime means a lot to your child, you can expect that he or she will show the desire to devote more time to these activities during the holidays. However, the lack of agreements or rules about screen time can lead to increased use of screens, especially if there is a lot of unstructured free time.

During the holidays, you can agree with your adolescent to spend a little more time behind screens, if they can balance this in other areas, such as more time spent outside, outdoor and sports activities or family activities.

Here are some ideas on how to use the holiday time for balanced screen time and strengthen family relationships:

Plan how you will spend your time in advance

Often the core of the dispute are the frequent visits from relatives and friends, which adults usually look forward to, but adolescents may not. Make agreements with your adolescent about the family plan for visits, family activities and festive rituals so they can plan their free time around that. You should also discuss if, when and how much time your teen will be able to spend behind screens on days when you have other activities planned (e. g. Christmas, New Year).

Avoid giving devices as gifts 

Children and teens often wish for a new phone, computer or console as a gift for their birthday, graduation or holidays. However, doing so can have consequences. One of them is that the child sees it as a toy that he or she owns, and as such can use it as he or she pleases, which can cause problems when parents want to limit or suspend its use. Buying a new screen device should be a planned and considered decision, before which you discuss the rules and agreements that come along. For a gift, choose something else that means a lot to your child or adolescent and it is not tied to the screen.

Try digital detox for a day

Winter holidays are a great opportunity to try digital detox with your family. Choose a day (or more) that you will spend without screens as a family. Plan this day carefully and fill it with various family activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy doing. You can use this day for a family trip, to bake cookies, play board games, create or decorate together, or anything else your family will enjoy without the presence of screens. Be creative and encourage your family to try something new that you didn’t have the time or opportunity to do before.

Discover the digital world with your child or teenager

If the digital world means a lot to your child or teenager, the holidays are the perfect opportunity to connect with them by exploring this aspect of their lives. Ask them to discuss their favorite online activities, play a video game together, watch their favorite series or anime episode. Ask them how good they are at the game, find out who their favorite characters are or what video content makes them laugh. It is important to be genuinely curious and not act from a position of control. This way adolescents will feel accepted with their interests, and very often talking about things that interest them is a great entry point for a relationship and can open up other important topics. If your child invites you to enter their world, talks about it or even accepts your suggestion to play a game together, this is an important sign of trust, so be careful to not react critically or judgmentally to what they show you.

Don’t leave devices turned on in the background

Don’t allow screen time during mealtimes and family gatherings. Turn the TV off, put phones on the counter, and work to engage in healthy conversation. If you want to create a festive atmosphere with music, you can use the radio or connect your phone to a speaker and then leave it out of sight.

Swap to more ‘social’ screens

December is usually the time for families to watch a Christmas movie or take part in the annual Harry Potter or Star Wars marathon. Keep in mind that TV contributes to time spent behind screens, but it’s still better to watch a movie together than having everyone in the family spend time behind their own screens. Watching movies or series as a family can open up the conversation and encourage interaction, so it’s definitely a better option than everyone scrolling through social media on their phone.

Don’t let go of the routine

The absence of major commitments such as schoolwork, homework or sports practice, does not mean that we should completely abandon the routine we have established with our children and teens. Even if the routine will be different or slightly staggered compared to work days, it’s still a good idea to keep the bedtime hour and to put away screens in the evening to prepare for sleep. Doing so, we can help our children to not completely break their sleep schedule. You should also discuss your expectations from the teenager during the holidays, e. g. spending time outdoors, engaging in sports activities, taking care of pets, helping with holiday activities, etc.

We at Logout wish you a joyful and happy holiday, full of bustling moments of togetherness and to find many creative ways to spend time without screens.