Parent resources
Most of the difficulty around screens and schoolwork is not about screens or schoolwork. It is about transitions, negotiation and the fact that “in a minute” is a complete sentence to a nine-year-old.
These are practical tips for those moments — how to end an argument before it starts, how to stop being the person who has to ask five times, and how to make starting the easiest part of the task.
Rules agreed in the middle of a conflict are negotiations. Rules agreed on a calm Sunday are rules. Say them out loud, keep them short, and write them somewhere your child can point to.
A timer, an alarm or an app that closes on its own takes you out of the role of the person who takes things away. It is a smaller change than it sounds and it removes a surprising amount of resentment.
If you are asking repeatedly, the routine is missing a trigger. Attach the task to something fixed — after the plate goes in the sink, before the tablet unlocks — so the situation does the asking instead of you.
Children stall at starting, not at doing. “Read one page” and “answer two questions” get past the hard part, and most of the time the rest follows without being asked for.
Parenting Tips5 min read
Most screen-time fights happen in the last two minutes and follow the same script. Here is how to change the script — and stop being the one who takes things away.
Published 31 August 2026
Parenting Tips5 min read
If you are asking five times a night, the problem is usually the routine rather than the child. Practical ways to get practice happening without being the reminder.
Published 31 August 2026
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