It’s no secret children love their screens, and most parents can relate to the tears and tantrums that often come with taking these devices away.
“These typical sweet young things really take on a different persona when they take away the screens,” says Rebecca R. Berry, PhD, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone.
Dr. Berry offers tips for parents to help their children keep their cool, such as planning to do something fun when screen time is over, like having a snack or going to the park. In addition, before the video or app begins, remind kids that they’ll get to do that activity if they can turn off the device without having a tantrum. It can also be helpful to avoid warnings that screen time is almost over—as kids may get preemptively upset—as well as taking away devices in the middle of a game or video.
Read more from The New York Times.