A screen time plan for kids the whole family can stick to
Arguments about one more episode every evening? A clear plan the kids helped write works better than rules made up on the spot. Your todo.is agent drafts a screen time plan for your children's ages, school days and weekends, with limits, screen-free times, a family agreement to sign and a list of offline things to do instead.
The prompt
- Make a screen time plan for kids for my family: [KIDS AND AGES]. Right now they use screens about [CURRENT USE], mostly for [WHAT THEY USE]. Our goals: [GOALS]. Suggest daily limits for school days and weekends by age, screen-free times and places, how to earn extra time (if at all), and what happens when rules are broken. Include a one-page family agreement the kids can sign, a list of 20 offline activities they actually like, and parental control settings to look at for [DEVICES]. Deliver it as a printable PDF.
What to change
- [KIDS AND AGES]: E.g. "Sam, 5, and Ella, 11". Add interests so the offline ideas fit.
- [CURRENT USE]: Your honest guess, e.g. "3 hours on school days, 6 on weekends".
- [WHAT THEY USE]: E.g. "YouTube, Minecraft, TikTok, homework on a laptop".
- [GOALS]: E.g. "better sleep, no phones at dinner, more outdoor time, fewer fights".
- [DEVICES]: E.g. "iPad, Android phone, Nintendo Switch, family TV".
Example result
- Family screen time plan
- Sam, 5, and Ella, 11 · goals: better sleep, no screens at dinner, fewer arguments
- Daily limits (for fun, not homework)
- • Sam, school days: 30 to 45 minutes, after kindergarten and a snack
- • Sam, weekends: up to 1.5 hours, split into two sessions
- • Ella, school days: 1 hour after homework is done
- • Ella, weekends: up to 2 to 3 hours, with a break every hour
- • Homework on a laptop does not count, but it happens at the kitchen table
- Screen-free times and places
- • No screens at meals, in the car under 30 minutes, or in bedrooms
- • All devices charge in the kitchen from 19:30 (Sam) and 20:30 (Ella)
- • One hour before bed is screen-free for everyone, adults included
- Earning and losing time
- • No earning extra time with chores (it turns screens into a prize)
- • A 5-minute warning before time is up; arguing at the end means a shorter session tomorrow
- • Saturday movie night is a family screen time and does not count toward limits
- Our family agreement
- • We put devices away when time is up, after the 5-minute warning
- • We tell a parent if something online makes us feel bad or scared
- • We don't share our name, school or photos with strangers
- • Parents follow the dinner and bedtime rules too
- • We review this plan together in one month
- • Signed: ______ ______ ______ ______
- 20 offline swaps (a few)
- • Lego challenge cards, drawing comics, bike ride, baking, board games
- • Ella: podcast plus a craft, a sleepover plan, learning a song on the guitar
- Parental controls to check
- • iPad: Screen Time, Downtime and App Limits
- • Android phone: Google Family Link
- • Nintendo Switch: the Parental Controls app with a daily timer
- • TV: kids profile on each streaming service
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your kids' ages, their current screen use and what you want to change.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Print the PDF and talk the agreement through with your kids before anyone signs it.
- Ask your agent to remind you in a month (a recurring to-do) to review how the plan is going.
Tips for a better result
- Involve the kids. Ask them what is fair and let them choose a few offline activities; they follow rules they helped write.
- Rules for adults help a lot. Phones away at dinner should mean every phone.
- Separate homework and creative screen use (coding, making music) from scrolling and videos.
- Change one or two habits at a time, like bedroom devices first, instead of everything on day one.
screen time plan for kids: FAQ
- How much screen time is recommended for kids? Many pediatric groups suggest little to no screen time under 2, about an hour a day of good-quality content for ages 2 to 5, and consistent limits that protect sleep, activity and schoolwork for older kids. Ask your pediatrician what fits your child.
- Does homework on a computer count as screen time? Most families count it separately. The plan can set limits for entertainment only, while homework happens in a shared room.
- How do I stop arguments when screen time ends? Give a warning 5 minutes before, use a visible timer, and keep the same consequence every time. Ending at a natural break (end of an episode or level) helps too.
- Can the agent set the parental controls for me? No. It tells you which settings to look at on each device and links to the official help pages, and you set them yourself.
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