Screen Time for Kids: Setting Healthy Limits by Age

Health bodies agree on a few things about screens and children: babies and toddlers learn best from people and hands-on play, preschoolers should have strictly limited and well-chosen screen time, and older children need rules that protect sleep, activity, and family time. Beyond the early years, there is no magic number, and what a child does on a screen matters as much as how long.

This guide is for parents and caregivers of children from infancy to the teen years. You will see what WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend by age, how to judge quality rather than just minutes, and how to put a family media plan in place.

What the guidance says by age

WHO published its guidelines for children under five in 2019. They cover sedentary behavior, which includes screen time and time spent restrained in a stroller or high chair, together with physical activity and sleep. For older children, WHO's guidelines recommend an average of 60 minutes of moderate physical activity a day and advise limiting sedentary time. They do not set a specific screen-time cap for school-age children.

The AAP's guidance is organized by age group and, for older children, focuses on principles instead of exact limits.

These are guidelines, not laws, and national health agencies in different countries set their own advice. If your country has an official recommendation, check it, because it may differ in detail.

Quality matters as much as quantity

An hour of video calls with a grandparent is not the same as an hour of autoplaying clips. Consider four questions about any screen activity:

1. What is it? Programs designed for a child's age, with a clear story and no constant interruptions, are generally better than fast-moving clips or content designed to keep children watching.
2. Who is with them? The AAP suggests watching together and talking about what is on the screen. Talking helps younger children connect what they see to the real world.
3. What is it replacing? The main cost of screen time is often what it pushes out: sleep, active play, reading, and face-to-face time.
4. How do they feel afterward? If a child is regularly irritable or has trouble stopping, that tells you something about the activity or the amount.

Not all screen use is passive. Drawing, making music, coding, and video calls are active uses. A reasonable approach is to treat these differently from scrolling.

Build a family media plan

The AAP offers a free tool called the Family Media Plan, which helps families create a personalized plan covering device-free times, bedtime, and daily routines. You can use it or write your own in an evening.

1. Hold a family meeting. Explain that the plan is for everyone, adults included. Children are more likely to accept rules they helped create.
2. List the screen-free zones and times. Common choices are meals, the hour before bed, and bedrooms at night.
3. Decide what comes first. Many families agree that homework, chores, or outdoor play comes before recreational screens.
4. Set limits that suit each age. Use the guidance above for young children and agree on a daily or weekly allowance for older ones.
5. Choose the devices and where they live. Keep charging stations outside bedrooms if possible.
6. Agree on consequences in advance, such as losing a screen privilege for a day.
7. Review every few months. Children grow and the rules should change with them.

A worked example

Say a family with a 10-year-old agrees on the following: no screens at meals; devices charge in the kitchen overnight; homework and 30 minutes of outdoor activity before any recreational screens; and a limit set together, for example 90 minutes on school days and more on weekends. The AAP does not set a number for this age, so the figure is the family's own decision, based on how the child sleeps, learns, and behaves. After a month, they check how it is going. If sleep suffers, they move the cut-off earlier. This is a hypothetical plan, but the structure is what makes it work: it protects sleep and activity first, and the number second.

Use parental controls as a tool, not a substitute

Phones, tablets, game consoles, streaming services, and home routers have settings that let you filter content, set time limits, approve purchases, and manage who your child can contact. The details differ by device, so look in the settings or the manufacturer's help pages.

Controls help most when they support the rules you have agreed on. They cannot replace conversation, because older children can often find ways around them and many harms, such as bullying or unkind messages, happen inside apps that are allowed. For that reason:

• Set up controls together with older children, and explain what they do.
• Turn off autoplay and in-app purchases where possible.
• Check privacy settings on social and gaming accounts.
• Ask your child to show you what they like to play or watch.
• Tell them they can come to you if they see something upsetting, without being punished for it.

The AAP notes that many experts suggest waiting until age 13 for social media, and that families of teens often use graduated independence. It also suggests watching for signs such as disrupted sleep, compulsive use, slipping grades, or self-image concerns.

Model the behavior you want

Children notice how adults use phones. If you scroll at the dinner table, a rule against devices at meals will feel unfair to them. Some practical habits:

• Put your own phone away during meals and the first part of the evening.
• Tell children when you are using a device for something useful, such as checking a map.
• Avoid using screens to calm a child in every difficult moment. The AAP says children need help managing big feelings with a range of strategies.
• Keep some screen-free family routines, such as a weekly walk, a game night, or reading together.

If your child is also growing up with two languages, you may find that screens can support the second language when used with care. Our article on raising bilingual children discusses this.

Common mistakes

• Using screens as a reward or punishment. It makes screens seem more valuable and can create conflict.
• Setting rules that adults do not follow.
• Counting only minutes. Ignoring content and context misses the point.
• Changing rules daily. Inconsistency leads to arguments.
• Banning everything and then allowing everything. A sudden swing in rules is harder for a child than a steady approach.
• Leaving bedtime unprotected. Devices in the bedroom overnight are a common cause of lost sleep.

Frequently asked questions

Are video calls with family counted as screen time?

The AAP specifically says that video calls with family and friends are an exception to its advice against screens for children under two. Most guidance treats them differently from passive viewing because there is back-and-forth interaction.

Is educational content fine in unlimited amounts?

No. Even good content takes time from sleep, activity, and play. The AAP advises setting limits that leave room for those things.

What should I do if my child melts down when screen time ends?

Give a warning before the end, such as five minutes, use a timer that the child can see, and have a next activity ready. Staying calm and consistent is usually more effective than arguing in the moment.

How do I teach my child about managing money online?

Digital spending, such as in-app purchases, is one more reason to set rules early. Our guide on teaching kids about money covers digital money by age.

Next steps

1. Check what your country's health authority recommends, and compare it with the WHO and AAP guidance above.
2. Hold a family meeting and draft a media plan with screen-free times and places, using the AAP Family Media Plan tool if you like.
3. Set up device controls together and turn off autoplay and in-app purchases.
4. Choose one habit of your own to change, such as phones away at meals, and review the plan in a few months.