If the 9pm screen fight is running your week

Here's something most screen-time advice misses: where the screen lives in your house matters more than how long your child is on it.

Three things you might recognise:

1. The 9pm fight running your evenings
2. Your child coming home saying "I'm the only one without the app"
3. A meltdown the second the device goes off

If any of these feel familiar, you're probably past the point where another rule is going to help.

That's because the rules aren't the problem. The developmental work underneath is: emotional regulation, attention, sleep, peer belonging, and how your household runs.

We've just written a piece on why the rulebook keeps failing, and what helps instead: Screen Time Help for Parents​

While you're there, you'll see Connected. It's a 5-session online parents' group starting late May, funded by South-Western Sydney PHN, which means it's free for eligible parents. It's facilitated by Sonya Thompson, one of the professionals on our team. Call reception on (02) 9727 7752 to learn more.

Nicole Robinson​ Principal and Clinical Psychologist, ProActive Psychology ​proactivepsychology.com.au​