Make a family media plan in one evening

Why how matters more than how much

The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) position on screens for school-aged kids and teens was first published in 2019 and reaffirmed in July 2025. Its main message is reassuring: it's more useful to look at how screens are used, and whether they get in the way of the rest of life, than to count every minute.

The CPS builds its advice on four ideas: manage screen use with a plan, encourage meaningful use, model healthy habits yourself, and monitor in a balanced, informed way. A family media plan pulls all four together. Caring for Kids, the CPS site for parents, describes it as a document that says how and when each member of your family uses screens.

Most families already have unwritten rules. Writing them down makes them fairer, clearer and easier to keep.

Before you sit down: think about your child

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a short tool called the 5 C's. Take ten quiet minutes with it before the family talk.

• Child: What is your child like? A screen habit that's fine for one kid can be hard for another.
• Content: What do they actually watch, play and post? Quality matters as much as quantity.
• Calm: Do they use screens to settle big feelings or to fall asleep? If it's their only way to calm down, plan a few other options.
• Crowding out: What are screens pushing aside? Think about what you want more of, like sleep, outdoor time or family time.
• Communication: How often do you talk about their online life? Regular, low-key chats are the goal.

The evening itself, in five parts

Pick a relaxed night, put out snacks, and keep it to about an hour. Older kids can take notes.

1. Start with the good. Each person names something they love doing on a screen. This sets a friendly tone and reminds everyone the goal isn't to ban fun.
2. Choose screen-free places and times. The CPS recommends keeping screens out of bedrooms and setting daily screen-free times for the whole family, especially meals. Car rides and the first part of the morning are other popular picks.
3. Set a device curfew and a charging spot. Agree on a time when devices go to one charging spot outside bedrooms, such as the kitchen. The CPS suggests screens off at least an hour before bed. Our sleep guide looks at newer research on this.
4. Agree on limits for each person. The CPS advises time and content limits for each family member, adjusted to age. A seven-year-old and a fifteen-year-old won't have the same plan, and that's fair.
5. Write it down. One page is enough. Post it on the fridge and have everyone sign it, parents included.

Signs the plan needs a tune-up

The CPS lists a few signs that screen use has become a problem. They're useful as a regular check-in, not as a reason to panic.

• Screens are cutting into sleep.
• Schoolwork or grades are slipping because of screen time.
• Your child is spending less time with friends and family face to face.

If none of these are happening, your plan is likely doing its job, even on days when the hours run long. If one shows up, change one rule at a time and talk about why.

Revisit it when life changes

A plan isn't a contract for life. Look at it again when something shifts: a new device, a new school year, a new app or game, summer holidays, a birthday.

Invite your kids to propose changes too. A teen who shows they can keep the curfew might earn a later one. That gives them a reason to keep the plan, and gives you a calm way to talk about their online life.

The CPS also encourages parents to learn the parental controls on their kids' devices. Our setup guides for iPhone and Google Family Link can help with that part.