u/Physical_Cod_8329

I’m looking for advice from parents of older children about reducing screen time after allowing quite a bit at home. Both of my children (7 and 11) are very active in school and activities, so we’ve gotten pretty lax with screen time when they are at home because it feels like their chance to relax. However, summer is coming and they are about to have nice long days with no practices or schoolwork to worry about. I do NOT want this to turn into mindlessly watching tv every day, but I also am not looking forward to a summer of arguing about whether or not they can watch tv.

I have already started prepping them by telling them that when summer comes, we will have more limits on screen time, but I’m looking for some practical ways to help this transition be less miserable for all of us.

A family friend is “homeschooling” her children. She uses Abeka and is super inconsistent, so all three children are multiple years behind where they should be. I have to tread very carefully or risk losing access to the children entirely, but I always worry that they will grow up someday and wonder why the adults in their lives did nothing. Knowing what you know now, what do you wish the adults in your life would have done?