Screen time in primary school: not a ban, a routine

One of the questions parents ask most on school visits is about screens: "Are tablets used at school?", "How much screen time is normal at home?" The answer to the first is short: at Ada, children in Years 1 and 2 do not use tablets or computers; in Years 3 and 4 they use them for a few hours a week, with a teacher, for research and presentations. The answer to the second is longer, because every family's routine is different.

First, a fact: it is not about minutes but about what screens replace

International organisations do not recommend a single "correct number of minutes" for children aged six to twelve. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends setting consistent limits for this age group and making sure screens do not replace sleep, physical activity and family time. The World Health Organization recommends that children of this age do an average of at least sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day.

That is why we suggest parents ask: "What did screens replace today?" An hour of cartoons in the evening is not a big problem if the child has run in the garden, done their homework, chatted at dinner and gone to bed on time. The same hour is a problem if it is taken from sleep, play or conversation.

Sleep: what suffers most

The recommended sleep for children aged six to twelve is nine to twelve hours a night. For a child who catches the school bus at 07:30, that means falling asleep by 21:00–21:30 at the latest. These are usually the hours screens take most.

Turn screens off at least an hour before bed; sleep experts and child health organisations frequently make this recommendation.
Don't let phones and tablets spend the night in the child's room. Keep the charging spot in the living room.
Give the half hour before bed to books, a bath and conversation.

Practical ways to build a routine at home

Bans often lead to arguments; routines reduce them. A few simple rules talked through and written down as a family are much easier than negotiating again every evening.

Screen-free times: the dinner table, school mornings and the hour before bed are screen-free for everyone. "Everyone" matters; children don't find a rule fair if it applies only to them.
First, then: screen time comes after reading, play and movement. "Garden first, then cartoons" works better than "no cartoons".
Know what is being watched: watch with your child when you can and talk about what they watch. Chosen content is better than an endless stream of algorithm-recommended videos.
Make the end visible: instead of "one more episode", say "we switch off when this episode ends" and keep your word. A kitchen timer helps here.

Children learn screen rules more from example than from words. A parent who doesn't put their phone on the dinner table says more than anything they could say on the subject.

What can replace screens?

Cutting screen time is hard without filling the time it frees. At this age the best alternatives are usually the simplest: board games, puzzles, paper and scissors, helping in the kitchen, bikes, the park. This is one reason workshops are part of the timetable at Ada: a child who works with wood, dough and soil takes the joy of making things with their hands home too.

Don't be afraid of boredom. In the first half hour of a screen-free afternoon you will hear "I'm bored"; the most creative games often come right after that sentence.

Together with school

A screen routine works more easily when school and home are consistent. At the start of each term we discuss this at the parents' meeting and share the class's joint suggestions. When everyone in a group of friends plays the same game, even a small agreement between families can ease the pressure on children.

If you notice sleeplessness, angry outbursts or a clear reluctance towards everything except screens, let the teacher and our school counsellor know. Observing together helps us understand whether the issue is screens or something else.