Richard Hogan: Why you need to get rules in place for kids' screen time

Boundaries are a gift, you can have them without being a dictator

Richard Hogan, boundaries are vital for screen time.

Last week I wrote about the need for parents to work in the interest of their future self by implementing a technology policy early in a child’s life. Doing this will make the adolescent years less challenging and problematic. We must, first of all, have a clear idea of the boundaries we want in our home.

All children crave them, they are what makes children feel safe and allows them to flourish in life. Before I discuss them, think about boundaries as stabilisers. How does a child learn to cycle safely? Parents attach stabilisers so the child can calibrate their centre of gravity by bouncing off the safety of the extra wheels to eventually righting themselves until they don’t need them to be safe.