Screen Time Contract Template

A simple family screen-time agreement covering school nights, weekends, gaming, YouTube, chores, and sleep.

Screen-time conflict usually gets worse when rules are vague. 'Not too much' is not a rule. A contract should name the when, where, what, and what happens next.

The best contracts separate categories: schoolwork, creative use, social connection, gaming, video, and passive scrolling. They also include repair steps. If the child breaks a rule, what is the reset? If the parent enforces it unfairly, how can the child ask for a review?

A contract is not a substitute for connection. It works best when paired with predictable routines: device parking, outdoor time, homework blocks, family meals, and a weekly reset.

Parent Checklist

Define screen-free zones and times.
Set different rules for school nights, weekends, holidays, and sick days.
Separate homework screens from entertainment screens.
Write a calm consequence ladder before conflict happens.
Review the contract monthly as age, school demands, and maturity change.

What to Say

We are writing rules so we do not have the same argument every night.

The goal is balance: sleep, school, friends, movement, family, and fun.

If the plan is not working, we review it calmly, not during a fight.

Make this specific to your child

Generate a plan that matches age, apps, devices, country, and your current worry.

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