Whilst the digital revolution has ushered in countless educational, mind-expanding and exciting developments for families, most parents recognize that children’s screen time needs to be limited. Whether it’s gaming, watching TV on a tablet or talking to friends online, there’s a growing body of evidence to show that too much screen time has some unwelcome side effects, impacting negatively on mood and physical fitness and increasing the risk of behavioral problems.
But implementing boundaries around screen time can be hard. Taking a device away can lead to mood swings and arguments, but also, as a parent, when you have lots of other things on your mind, it’s tough to be consistent with boundaries and monitor the situation effectively.
ScreenLimit is a ground breaking tool which enables parents to remotely manage their children’s screen time from a smart phone, tablet or web browser. Parents can instantly block, schedule times of the day when devices are inactive, block or allow specific apps, reward for good behavior and message their children.
It is the only fully cross platform app of its type working on iOS, Android, Amazon and Windows devices. It is also the only app of its type where each child has a daily time limit which allows them to switch between multiple devices on the same timer ensuring that they can’t use more screen time than they’re allocated.
ScreenLimit is designed to help restore your peace of mind, taking the hard work out of your hands so you can sit back and watch as healthy screen time becomes a habit for your child.
Stefanie Paul and her husband Bryan live in New Jersey, U.S, with their daughter, Anika, who is 8, and Bryan’s two older sons, 17 and 20. They tried ScreenLimit to help monitor Anika’s screen time.
Anika’s devices: family iPad, personal iPhone.
What was life like in your house before you introduced ScreenLimit?
Stefanie: ‘Before we tried ScreenLimit, there were fairly regular tantrums in our house when we tried to set limits around Anika’s screen time. Whenever it was time to stop playing, or watching, we’d be met with ‘just five more minutes,’ or ‘but I’ve only just started,’ even if she had been online for hours. I also found it really difficult to keep on top of the limits I’d set. I’d say ‘five more minutes,’ then get distracted with the washing, or cooking dinner and lose track of time. And an hour later, I’d realize she was still on the iPad.’
Have you tried any other apps or controls?
Stefanie: ‘Yes. I’ve been searching for something like this for a while. But all the others I’d tried didn’t work across devices which made them virtually pointless. I’d set up the controls, but then Anika would have 45 minutes on each device, which was way too much. None of the others had the mechanism to reward good behavior with extra time too.’
How did Anika react when you introduced ScreenLimit?
Stefanie: She wasn’t too keen, but she was accepting and she quickly began to get motivated by the possibility for earning extra screen time by doing daily chores (everything from brushing her teeth to unloading the dishwasher). She’s also less upset when her time runs out as she can see that it’s consistent and on record – there’s not the sense of unfairness there was in the past. Things are calmer now and there are far fewer arguments.
Would you recommend the app?
Stefanie: Absolutely, I already have to a number of friends.
Anika says: I don’t like not having all the time I want, but I really like that I can get more time by doing things like brushing my teeth or doing good in school. I like that it’s easy to use and they made it so you could put my picture by my name.
ScreenLimit have an exclusive offer for KidsEmail clients of an extended FREE trial and a 40% discount off of the lifetime subscription, to sign up please go to:
Join the FREE trial and follow the instructions to set up the app on all of your devices. Remember to also install ScreenLimit on your main device so you can control your children’s devices from the same app anywhere.
Once you have set up your account click the menu (three horizontal lines at the top of the screen) on the app or web browser, then go to Account and apply the following voucher code:
7a219d
This will apply an extra 4000 minutes to the standard 1000 minutes to allocate to your children on the free trial, so you can fully test the app for an extended period. It will also enable you to purchase the lifetime subscription at a 40% discount.