Media use with kids has been a hot topic.  Here’s what I tell my clients: 

Think of technology as you would sweets or junk food at the top of that food pyramid we all learned about in school.  We love it, but consume it in moderation.

All children: Keep all screens out of bedrooms and do not use them within 30 minutes of going to bed.

Preschoolers: Limit use overall.  View with young children and keep the media high quality.

School Age children: Turn off when not in use and turn off notifications.   Set aside technology at times to connect with each other, such as mealtimes.   Be cautious of activities that access the Internet and may put them at risk for solicitation.  (“stranger danger" rule is a good one here)

Older children/Teens and Personal devices:  Turn off location services; teach them to not “check in”; consider turning off notifications, so they get a break.   Know all of their apps, and check storage settings to make sure they do not have any "hidden apps”.  Make rules to keep their passwords and establish “random checks" of their devices.  Research parental controls for, and look into apps for you to monitor their use.  Experts say that sexting is “the new first base.”

Be a positive role model: Talk about when, how, and why any family members are using technology.

Make a family media use plan: One great option can be found at Aap.org; healthychildren.org; type family media plan into search box.  You can create a Family Media Plan for each child based on their age that helps establish Screen Free Zones, Screen Free Times, Device Curfews andHow to Diversify Media.  This site also has a Media Time Calculator that allows you to enter in the time needed for all other activities: sleep, meals, sports, school, free time, personal care, family time and see how much time is left for Media.

Know the media: Remember the diet analogy: know what you feed your child.  Common Sense Media (commonsensemedia.org) is a free site that offers recommendations based on age, has research based articles about technology use and a Media agreement you can create with school age children and older.  A really good site about internet safety is KL Greer (klgreer.com).  She stays current on everything tech and gives you what you need to know as parents while embracing how important it is to all of us!