Set the Guardrails

You cannot out-willpower a product engineered to hold attention, so build the environment instead:

• Delay the start: the later a child gets a personal device, the more time the prefrontal cortex has to mature.
• Protect the basics: keep screens out of bedrooms and away from meals and the hour before sleep.
• Co-watch when you can: talking about what is on screen turns passive viewing into shared learning.
• Trade up, do not just cut: replace a screen hour with play, movement, or conversation rather than leaving a vacuum.