We’ve never enforced screen time limits on our kids, who are now 5 and 3 years old. We don’t set any time locks, count the hours on their devices, or require them to ask for permission.

Our children have complete freedom to watch as much as they want. Yet, they spend more time outside than on their devices.

Why is that?

By not forcing screen time limits, we’ve shifted the tone in our house from anxiety and guilt to trust and respect. This approach opens up the conversation about addiction and other negative effects of excessive screen time usage without them feeling we have an agenda to control them.

It also encourages us to be more proactive in creating a richer environment where they can naturally follow their curiosities and explore the world.

They ride their bikes, hunt bugs, visit friends, read, fish, build with me, paint, or engage in whatever activities the world offers. We have conversations about their findings, enriching those discoveries by watching stories on YouTube or asking ChatGPT questions.

Not enforcing screen time limits has proven to be one of the most human things we could have done to raise our kids and help them feel safe, trusted and respected.

Now, I’m not expecting or asking you to agree. I’m sharing this because I think it contains clues to how we make others feel.