We only have so many hours in a day do we really want to spend so much of it staring at a screen? -Katie Kimball

Oh, parents. Parents in the tech age…there REALLY is no handbook for this! We’ve never seen our parents struggle through having the Internet in our kids’ pockets, and honestly? I don’t like the feeling of making it up as I go along.

That’s why I’ve been following Andrea and Tyler at Better Screen Time for a few years in my personal email, and I don’t know why I didn’t ask her to do an interview sooner!

We dug deep in this interview (spoiler: I already asked her back for a second!!!), including:

  • Risks of screen use and technology, including some I NEVER even considered
  • Why we can’t parent from a place of fear (even though that bit above is scary!!!)
  • How parents can consciously choose when a child gets a personal device
  • The risk of allowing our kids to self-soothe with screens
  • The importance of kids under 6 doing the hard work of playing
  • The difference between watching a show and playing on an interactive touch screen (mind-blowing!)
  • What questions you should ask your kids to help build a family tech plan (and why “together” works better than “rules from the top”)

This interview is required listening for all parents, and we really dig into healthy screen boundaries for kids younger than 10. Lay the foundations for family tech use with this interview, and watch in a few months when I have Andrea back to tackle the tough topic of tweens, teens, and smartphones.

Andrea offered a free gift for our listeners 100 screen-free activities.

Andrea is a camp leader for #LifeSkillsNow Summer Camp this June! Sign up for free here!

Find all the episodes of the Healthy Parenting Handbook here, or wherever you get your podcasts:

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Can’t see the video? Watch Better Screen Time here on YouTube!

No time for the video? Here are the notes!

These timestamps align with the video, not the audio podcast (although they’ll be fairly close).

Better Screen Time for Families

  • 0:20: There’s no precedent for parenting in the digital age. Andrea Davis is the mentor you need to navigate screens with your family.
  • 1:33: My worry-meter was turned way up this past weekend when we heard a speaker from Women At Risk talking about human trafficking and how in many cases it begins online.
  • 2:45: We talk about some risks of screens and technology. It goes way beyond sleep disruption and screen addiction.
  • 8:58: Andrea shares her background with us and how she became a screen expert.

We used our TV like an appliance and only pull it out at certain times. -Andrea Davis

At What Age Should Kids Get Cellphones?

  • 11:29: Smartphones are a slippery slope. You can give one to a teen with good motivation, but it’s so easy for them to become glued to apps, games, and social media.

We should parent from a place of confidence not a place of fear. -Dr. Meg Meeker

  • 14:40: Let’s talk about age and cell phones. We dive into some brain development. Andrea’s tip to look at “good, better, best” is super helpful! Here’s my review of some options for kids’ phones with limited features!

When is a child ready for a personal device? Look at brain development and what they need for growth. -Andrea Davis

Play is their work when kids are under 6. -Andrea Davis

  • 18:00: We don’t want to teach our kids to deal with big emotions by checking out on screens. Dr. Dimitri Christakis is a leader in screen research with kids. It may be easier now to soothe kids with screens, but you’ll regret it later when that’s how they self-soothe. Here’s the interview I mentioned with Dina Rose about healthy eating habits.
  • 20:24: For kids under 6 keep screen time limited and pay attention to types of screens. Touch screens cause dopamine spikes in the brain and many apps made for kids are overstimulating. Reset Your Child’s Brain which Andrea mentioned.

Together screen time is always better than alone. -Andrea Davis

Work Together to Create a Family Tech Plan

  • 23:58: I talk about not making dessert the trophy you get when you finish eating dinner, but how do we keep screen time from being the trophy you get after completing chores or homework? Using screens as a reward gives it more importance and power.
  • 26:40: Overly strict limits can create a stronger desire, but there needs to be boundaries and limits around screens. Kids’ brains aren’t fully developed and they really aren’t capable of self-regulating on screens.

Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.

Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)






Or find out more about the free knife class here.

  • 28:47: Andrea recommends working together as a family to make a family tech plan.
  • 31:00: We need to explain the “why” with our kids if we want them to buy into limited screen time. You can get Creating a Tech-Healthy Family here.
  • 35:49: There’s also a course called Creating a Tech Healthy Family if you need more research and hand holding.
  • 37:26: Here’s the first step you can take today. Don’t be overwhelmed and paralyzed by all the information we’ve given you today! Here is the freebie Andrea mentioned: 100 Screen-Free Activities (Am I in the Driver’s Seat, or is My Phone? is not available on her website anymore).

Resources We Mention for Better Screen Time

Andrea Davis Andrea Davis is a former secondary ed teacher turned screen-time-navigator. She is the founder of Better Screen Time where she shares family-tested ideas from the (tech) trenches as a mom of five. She is on a mission to help parents worry less about tech, and connect more with their kids. Andrea and her husband, Tyler, live in beautiful Hood River, Oregon where they love spending time outdoors as a family.

better screen time