“During the school day, parents know there is a block of time when their children won’t be on screens, so they may not feel as guilty about kids being on them in the evenings,” said Brittney Schrick, extension associate professor and family life specialist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “But during the summer, when kids are home alone, you can try to set boundaries, and sometimes they will get followed, but a lot of the time they won’t.”
One option for parents is to collaborate with other families and make plans for children to spend time together at each other’s homes, taking turns hosting them.
“Previous generations of kids could ride their bikes to someone’s house to hang out during the day, but they don’t do that anymore,” Schrick said. “Most interactions with their friends have to be organized. If you can establish a core group of families that trades off doing that, you can build a little community where the kids get intentional peer interaction.”
Schrick said the goal should be to give children safe, unstructured time during summer days — not just physically safe, but psychologically safe.
“If they’re online all day at home, that safety is an illusion,” Schrick said. “If they’re playing a game online that connects them with other people, they might start talking to someone they wouldn’t normally talk to.”
Monitor usage
“Parents need to be aware of what their kids are doing and want to do on screens,” Schrick said. “Use all the parental control features available, even past the age when kids think that they shouldn’t need them anymore. Keep in mind that this is ever-evolving — just because you knew what your kid was watching last week doesn’t mean they’re still watching that.”
Schrick encouraged parents to use children’s versions of media platforms, which usually feature a code that must be entered to switch from a child’s user profile to an adult profile. She also said it is important for parents to understand that when children explore new content on their devices, “they aren’t doing it to be sneaky, break the rules, or defy you.”
“They aren’t doing this with any malice,” Schrick said. “They’re just being kids who are bored and have a whole lot of time on their hands. Unless you have made it a priority to learn how to deal with boredom without screens, that’s what they’re going to do — it’s what the culture prepares them to do.”
It’s critical for parents to stay curious about the content their children are interacting with, Schrick said, without sounding dismissive or judgmental.
“Sit down next to them and ask them, ‘What are you doing? Tell me about what you’re watching,’” Schrick said. “That can be disarming in a way where it doesn’t give them a chance to get defensive or worried, and they’ll just answer you. If you don’t understand it, ask them, ‘Help me understand what you like about this,’ and watch your tone.”
Model good screen time habits
Though parents can also be guilty of spending too much time on their devices, Schrick said it is important to model healthy screen time habits, especially when it comes to putting phones down during conversations.
“Incremental improvement is better than no improvement,” Schrick said. “Make it a point to click the screen off, put it down and make eye contact with your kid while they’re talking to you.”
Schrick said it is normal for children to push back against limits on screen use, and that parents should be prepared to answer the “why” questions children may have about those limits. If parents do discover that their child has encountered inappropriate content or engaged in unsafe behavior online, it’s important to not shy away from difficult conversations.
“Sometimes, when parents are scared of the answer, they don’t ask the question,” Schrick said. “That can be true for a lot of things, including, ‘What are you watching?’ Because if they are watching something or engaging with media that has taught them something you weren’t ready for them to know, are they going to ask you questions that you’re not ready to answer?
“This may mean you have to discipline them in some way or take the screen away and deal with the fallout,” Schrick said. “You have to have the courage to ask those questions, even when you might be nervous about the outcome.”
Prioritize connection
“The idea that you only get 18 summers with your kids can be viewed as cliché, but it’s true,” Schrick said. “You get a finite amount of time with your kids. That doesn’t mean every moment has to be magical, positive and perfect, but you’re not going to get an unlimited number of chances to connect.
“This can look like talking to each other while you’re cooking dinner or going on a walk together even though you’re tired at the end of the day,” Schrick said. “Push through annoyance or exhaustion because those are the moments your kids will remember and the things you will cherish.”
For more extension family life resources, visit the Personal and Family Well-Being page on the Cooperative Extension Service website.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
As summer kicks off, an extension family life specialist offers advice for parents who may be worried about children spending extra time on screens.
“During the school day, parents know there is a block of time when their children won’t be on screens, so they may not feel as guilty about kids being on them in the evenings,” said Brittney Schrick, extension associate professor and family life specialist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “But during the summer, when kids are home alone, you can try to set boundaries, and sometimes they will get followed, but a lot of the time they won’t.”
One option for parents is to collaborate with other families and make plans for children to spend time together at each other’s homes, taking turns hosting them.
“Previous generations of kids could ride their bikes to someone’s house to hang out during the day, but they don’t do that anymore,” Schrick said. “Most interactions with their friends have to be organized. If you can establish a core group of families that trades off doing that, you can build a little community where the kids get intentional peer interaction.”
Schrick said the goal should be to give children safe, unstructured time during summer days — not just physically safe, but psychologically safe.
“If they’re online all day at home, that safety is an illusion,” Schrick said. “If they’re playing a game online that connects them with other people, they might start talking to someone they wouldn’t normally talk to.”
Monitor usage
“Parents need to be aware of what their kids are doing and want to do on screens,” Schrick said. “Use all the parental control features available, even past the age when kids think that they shouldn’t need them anymore. Keep in mind that this is ever-evolving — just because you knew what your kid was watching last week doesn’t mean they’re still watching that.”
Schrick encouraged parents to use children’s versions of media platforms, which usually feature a code that must be entered to switch from a child’s user profile to an adult profile. She also said it is important for parents to understand that when children explore new content on their devices, “they aren’t doing it to be sneaky, break the rules, or defy you.”
“They aren’t doing this with any malice,” Schrick said. “They’re just being kids who are bored and have a whole lot of time on their hands. Unless you have made it a priority to learn how to deal with boredom without screens, that’s what they’re going to do — it’s what the culture prepares them to do.”
It’s critical for parents to stay curious about the content their children are interacting with, Schrick said, without sounding dismissive or judgmental.
“Sit down next to them and ask them, ‘What are you doing? Tell me about what you’re watching,’” Schrick said. “That can be disarming in a way where it doesn’t give them a chance to get defensive or worried, and they’ll just answer you. If you don’t understand it, ask them, ‘Help me understand what you like about this,’ and watch your tone.”
Model good screen time habits
Though parents can also be guilty of spending too much time on their devices, Schrick said it is important to model healthy screen time habits, especially when it comes to putting phones down during conversations.
“Incremental improvement is better than no improvement,” Schrick said. “Make it a point to click the screen off, put it down and make eye contact with your kid while they’re talking to you.”
Schrick said it is normal for children to push back against limits on screen use, and that parents should be prepared to answer the “why” questions children may have about those limits. If parents do discover that their child has encountered inappropriate content or engaged in unsafe behavior online, it’s important to not shy away from difficult conversations.
“Sometimes, when parents are scared of the answer, they don’t ask the question,” Schrick said. “That can be true for a lot of things, including, ‘What are you watching?’ Because if they are watching something or engaging with media that has taught them something you weren’t ready for them to know, are they going to ask you questions that you’re not ready to answer?
“This may mean you have to discipline them in some way or take the screen away and deal with the fallout,” Schrick said. “You have to have the courage to ask those questions, even when you might be nervous about the outcome.”
Prioritize connection
“The idea that you only get 18 summers with your kids can be viewed as cliché, but it’s true,” Schrick said. “You get a finite amount of time with your kids. That doesn’t mean every moment has to be magical, positive and perfect, but you’re not going to get an unlimited number of chances to connect.
“This can look like talking to each other while you’re cooking dinner or going on a walk together even though you’re tired at the end of the day,” Schrick said. “Push through annoyance or exhaustion because those are the moments your kids will remember and the things you will cherish.”
For more extension family life resources, visit the Personal and Family Well-Being page on the Cooperative Extension Service website.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
