If you’ve ever handed your child a tablet so you could finish cooking, make a call, or — let’s be honest — just breathe for a moment, you are not failing. You are parenting in the real world. But with that said we do need to define boundaries, let’s talk screen time.

At Spoon & Sky, we believe screens aren’t the problem — how we use them is what matters most.
When used thoughtfully, screen time can support learning, regulation, and even connection. It can be part of your calm family flow — a tool, not a takeover.

Let’s explore how to use screen time with intention: turning it into a small but powerful part of your parenting toolkit.

---

🕓 The Reality of Screen Time Today

Screens are woven into modern family life — from video calls with grandparents to bedtime stories on tablets. They’re not going away, and they don’t have to be something we fear.

The key is balance: blending on-screen learning with off-screen living.
Children, especially between ages 3–8, thrive when they have structure and variety — a rhythm that includes movement, imagination, creativity, and calm downtime.

When screen time becomes part of a predictable daily rhythm (not an escape hatch), it can actually reduce power struggles, ease transitions, and help parents regulate too.

---

🌿 Recommended Screen Time Guidelines

The World Health Organization and NHS recommend:

• 🌞 Ages 2–5: up to 1 hour per day of high-quality programming
• 🌈 Ages 6+: consistent limits, ensuring screens don’t replace sleep, movement, or real-world play

That means we don’t need to eliminate screens — we just need to frame them.
Treat them like any other activity in your day — something with a start, middle, and end.

✨ Tip: Pair screen time with routines your child already knows — for example:

• After breakfast, 20 minutes of calm play or learning before getting dressed.
• After school, 30 minutes of wind-down before dinner.
• Weekend mornings: family movie or show followed by outdoor time.

---

🎯 Why Intentional Screen Time Helps

When screens are used with purpose, they can support:

• Learning and creativity (apps that teach problem-solving, storytelling, or art)
• Self-regulation (guided breathing or yoga videos)
• Connection (family movie nights, calls with loved ones)
• Routine transitions (helping children calm down or refocus)

The trick is not to let screens replace something — but to help support what’s already there.

---

💡 6 Smart Ways to Use Screen Time in Your Family Routine

Let’s make screens your ally, not your adversary.

---

1. 🧘‍♀️ Use Screen Time for Calm Transitions

If your child struggles moving from one activity to another — school to home, playtime to bedtime — try using short, calming screen moments to ease the shift.

🌀 Examples:

• Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube) – movement + mindfulness through storytelling.
• GoNoodle – gentle movement for transitions.
• Moshi Kids – audio stories and mindfulness exercises.

💬 Parent Tip: Announce it clearly — “We’ll do 10 minutes of calm screen time while we rest our bodies.” When the video ends, you can transition naturally: “Now our bodies feel ready for storytime.”

---

2. 🎨 Make It Creative

Screen time doesn’t have to be passive. Many apps and shows encourage creation, not consumption.

🎮 Ideas:

• Toca Boca apps – explore pretend play, storytelling, and design.
• Draw Together (YouTube) – guided drawing and creativity.
• Khan Academy Kids – playful, free early learning that blends literacy and problem-solving.

🎨 Follow-up tip: After screen time, offer a related real-world version:
If they played a cooking app, invite them to help make lunch. If they built something digitally, pull out LEGO or blocks.

---

3. 🧩 Connect Through Shared Viewing

Instead of using screens as separation (“you watch while I do this”), sometimes they can be connection points.
Snuggle up for a short show together and talk about what you see.

🍿 Try:

• Bluey – short, emotional intelligence-rich stories.
• StoryBots – curiosity-led learning through music.
• Puffin Rock – calming, nature-based, and beautifully narrated.

👩‍👧 Prompt: “What part did you like most?” or “If you could be one of those characters, who would you be?”

That small conversation turns screen time into connection time.

---

4. ⏰ Set Clear Routines Around Screen Time

Structure helps children predict what’s next — reducing battles.

Create a visual cue like:
🕒 “Screen time happens after snack, before outdoor play.”
📱 “Tablet time lasts 20 minutes — then the timer beeps!”

💬 Tip: Use visual timers or routine cards (like the Spoon & Sky Routine Cards Bundle 😉) to help your child see what’s coming next. When it’s predictable, it feels safe.

---

5. 🧠 Choose High-Quality Content

Not all screen time is equal. The best options encourage thinking, empathy, and imagination — not overstimulation.

🌿 Look for:

• Slow pace and gentle sound design (less flashing, more storytelling).
• Positive social modeling (friendship, teamwork, kindness).
• Topics that reflect your child’s real world — nature, community, family, emotions.

📺 Some favourites:

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood – emotional learning.
• Octonauts – teamwork and ocean exploration.
• Ask the StoryBots – science through humour.
• Alphablocks / Numberblocks – early literacy and numeracy foundations.

---

6. 💞 Reconnect After Screens

This is the most important piece.
When screen time ends, always reconnect — physically, emotionally, playfully.

It helps children ground back into the real world and transition smoothly.

💬 Try saying:

• “That was fun! Let’s stretch our bodies.”
• “What part did you like best?”
• “Can you show me what they did in the video?”

Even a 2-minute chat or cuddle resets the nervous system and reminds them: connection always comes first.

---

🌙 How to Integrate Screen Time Smoothly Into Routines

Think of screens as anchors, not fillers. Check out this blog post to find out more.
You can use them strategically to make the day run smoother without losing balance.

Here’s a sample family flow:

Time	Routine	Screen Tip
7:00 AM	Morning calm	Gentle music or drawing app while you prep breakfast
3:30 PM	After school reset	Mindful movement or quiet show while you unpack and decompress
5:00 PM	Cooking dinner	Educational show or app while kids sit nearby
7:00 PM	Bedtime wind-down	Audio story or calm animation before reading together

✨ The goal isn’t less or more screen time — it’s intentional screen time.

---

💡 Bonus Tip: Screen-Free Alternatives That Complement Screens

Pairing on-screen and off-screen learning helps balance stimulation and creativity:

• Watch a baking video → then bake together.
• Watch a space show → build rockets with cardboard.
• Try a drawing app → then colour on paper.

These small bridges help children understand that screens can inspire real-life action — not replace it.

---

🧺 What to Avoid

A few simple habits can make all the difference:

• ❌ Avoid screens during meals (protect family connection).
• ❌ Don’t use screens as punishment or reward — they’re a tool, not leverage.
• ❌ Avoid overstimulating content before bed — opt for slower, softer options instead.

---

💬 A Gentle Reminder for Parents

Screens can be both a relief and a resource — and that’s okay.
You’re not doing anything wrong by using them thoughtfully.

What matters is that your children feel connected, secure, and loved — not that they never see a screen.

So let’s stop the guilt and start reframing:
Screens are just one of many tools in your parenting toolkit — alongside stories, walks, cuddles, and creativity.

Because calm parenting isn’t about perfection.
It’s about balance, grace, and a bit of breathing space for you, too.

🌿 Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a very intense episode of “Bluey” waiting for us on the sofa — with popcorn and matching pyjamas, of course.

With calm and curiosity,
Lily Luz – Spoon & Sky Studios