Screen Time & Safety Tips

Every family is unique, with particular needs, challenges, and goals. Keeping your family safe and connected as those needs, challenges, and goals change can be challenging. Fortunately, there are many resources to support your family’s ​digital well-being ​efforts​ and promote online safety for kids​. Here are a few of our favorites: 

Start with the basics. Explore screen time and media recommendations for different ages and stages​​:

• 5 C’s of media use. The 5 C’s, developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, w​​ere inspired by and built upon the work of journalist & author, Lisa Guernsey. Find printable pages in English and Spanish with recommendations for babies to teenagers​​. 

• 5 M’s. Developed by Dr. Michael Rich, this simple framework helps families establish healthy screen time habits by age for children and grown-ups. 

Check out these resources to keep children safe and your whole family connected and well: 

• Be Internet Awesome. This family guide offers tools and resources to learn about online safety and citizenship at home. Available in English and Spanish. 

• Play Interland. Kids can play their way to being Internet Awesome with this online adventure that puts the key lessons of digital safety into hands-on practice with four challenging games. 

• Online Safety Tips for Parents from PBS Kids 

• Online Health and Safety Resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics, including Appropriate Age to Introduce a Mobile Device. 

• Family Media Plan. This tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics guides families through the process of creating a media plan. Available in English and Spanish. 
• 10 Ways to Help Your Kid Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Explore a few suggestions to ensure a restful night for little ones.  

Keep learning and growing with these parenting resources: 

• Healthy Children Podcast. Hosted by Dr. Edith Brancho Sanchez, a pediatrician and mother, this podcast offers insight and ideas for helping kids thrive in today’s world.  

Find even more Support: 

• Digital Parenthood is a virtual parenting support group. Created by experts, just for you. Here, you’re not alone. 
• Attention, Media Use and Children. Study the ways that children’s attention spans change with age and exposure to screens.