If your kids are anything like mine, turning off a screen can feel like you’ve just taken away their best friend. And honestly? I get it, to them it may be that you’ve taken away their best friend.
For our kids with ADHD screens can be soothing. They can help our children unwind after a long day, provide the background noise some brains need to relax or even unlock creativity, whether that’s building Minecraft worlds, writing stories or making silly videos.
So this isn’t about demonising screens. It’s about giving other options that encourage children to come away from their screens. The secret is creating an environment where other things are easy, inviting and ready to go, so leaving the screen behind doesn’t feel like a punishment.
Make Alternatives Visible and Easy to Reach
Kids, especially younger children will naturally grab what’s in front of them, for our ADHD children they need visual cues, out of sight can very much mean out of mind. If the TV remote is on the sofa but the Lego is hidden in a cupboard, the choice is obvious.
Try this instead:
- Keep Lego, puzzles or crafts in open baskets
- Rotate what’s on display so it feels new
- Stack books by the sofa or bed where they’re easy to grab
There is a balance here, too many toys and activities visible can create overwhelm and won’t have the desired effect. Rotating can be really helpful for younger children, as they get older you may be able to focus on their interests. We used IKEA pegboards above a desk to create a craft corner where I could add new bits every now and then, just adding them to the board without saying a thing so I’m also putting on no pressure or demand to use it.
Encourage Movement (even if the screen doesn’t go off)
There are times our children just need to decompress in front of the TV, it can take them to another world and requires nothing of them. Some weekends this might be what is needed for the whole weekend just to have the energy to go back to school on Monday.
Other times, excessive passive watching can lead to irritability and lack of sleep at night. We can teach our children to listen to their own bodies and make their own choices by giving them options. Yoga balls, indoor exercise trampolines or small bits of gym equipment in the same area as the TV can encourage a child to move even if they do still want their favourite programme.
Going back to the tip above, lego, puzzles, craft or art supplies also near the TV can encourage these activities even if the TV does stay on in the background. These “quiet” activities may not work so well as a quiet activity for a child with ADHD, some find it calming to have the TV on in the background.
Entice with Alternative Activities
Give children opportunities to do activities without the screen, maybe some baking, a trip to the park or the seafront, playing in the garden - focus on what your child likes to do. Not only are these a great way to get away from screens but also to spend time with your child.
Many parents do this but don’t register this as time their child is doing something other than screens, I know, I’ve been there and have to remind myself. All this time counts, it’s all variety.
Not All Screentime Is the Same
Here’s a mindset shift that helped me, not all screentime is the same and it’s certainly not all bad. Even as adults we need a “Netflix and Chill” every now and again, our children appreciate this too.
Technology and screens are part of our children’s lives and will continue to be. There are lots of learning opportunities from building in Minecraft to getting creative in Canva, writing stories, making videos and much more. Even gaming teaches perseverance and the power of practice.
Imagine suddenly having a great idea for a story but screentime is finished for the day and you now can’t get your ideas onto paper. For some children, writing by hand will be just as good, others (maybe even due to co-occurring conditions like dyslexia or dyspraxia) will need to type and they simply can’t write fast enough for their brains. This is just one example and a reason why knowing our individual children and meeting them where they’re at is so important.
By treating screens as one option, rather than a forbidden fruit, you reduce the battles.
Final Thoughts: Balance, Not Battles
Reducing screentime doesn’t mean going screen-free. It’s about balance. By making non-screen activities easy, visible and fun, kids are far more likely to choose them and naturally add balance into their days. It’s about creating a home environment where there genuinely is choice in the moment to pick up an alternative.