019: How to Help Kids Thrive with (and in spite of) Tech and Screens with Andrea Davis of Better Screen Time

Healthy Parenting Handbook with 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, 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!
Check out 3rd Rock Essentials and use code KITCHENSTEW for 20% off!

Resources We Mention for Better Screen Time

• My second interview with Andrea about teens and screens
• Find Andrea Online
• Andrea's book: Creating a Tech Healthy Family
• Andrea's Courses: Creating a Tech Healthy Family, Untangling Teens and Tech
• Dr. Dimitri Christakis is a leader in screen research with kids
• Reset Your Child's Brain
• Here's the interview I mentioned with Dina Rose about healthy eating habits
• Follow Andrea on social media: Instagram, Facebook

• Kitchen Stewardship
• Kids Cook Real Food
• follow Katie on Instagram or Facebook
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updates
• YouTube shorts channel for HPH
• Find the Healthy Parenting Handbook at kidscookrealfood.com/podcast

Affiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!