Tips for Managing Your Kids’ Holiday Screen Time This Year, According to an Expert

As winter break brings travel, school holidays and long, unstructured days, many parents run into the same problem: how to keep kids’ screen time under control without constant battles.

To help make it easier, pediatrician Barbara Christakis, an outpatient physician at Bluebird Kids Health in South Florida, shared her advice for navigating screens during the holidays.

Christakis says the first step is accepting that screens are part of modern life, not something families can realistically avoid forever. Trying to eliminate them completely “throughout your child’s life is nearly impossible,” she notes — and parents don’t need to feel guilty about that.

At the same time, she points out that heavy screen use in kids and teens has been linked to weaker “executive function” — the mental skills we use to plan, solve problems and think critically. More screen time, she says, often shows up as more emotional ups and downs, including aggressive or disruptive behavior.

Christakis adds that high screen use has also been associated with increased anxiety and depression in both children and adults. While that doesn’t prove screens directly cause these issues, it makes sense that constant device use — especially when it replaces in-person connection — can have a negative impact.

She also warns about screens at bedtime. Using devices close to sleep, she explains, can interfere with the body’s natural internal clock and make it harder for kids to fall and stay asleep.

Because of all this, many families decide to set firmer boundaries around screen time during the holidays — and Christakis suggests starting with what you do want more of.

Her top recommendation: prioritize meaningful connection. “Going into the holiday season, the best way to avoid a slide into all-day screen time is to make real-life interactions and family time the priority,” she says. That might be a special outing or something as simple as a cozy night at home where everyone is talking, playing or reading — with no devices present.

And yes, that includes parents’ phones. One of the hardest habits to break, she notes, is adults checking their own screens while asking kids to get off theirs.

Christakis also encourages clear rules. Her general guideline is no screen time under age 2, and after that, keeping it very limited — ideally no more than about an hour a day. Consistency helps kids know what to expect and reduces arguments.

If children do spend time on devices, she says not all content is equal. Calmer, educational shows — such as Ms. Rachel, Winnie the Pooh or Sesame Street — are preferable to fast-paced, highly stimulating programs. Watching together as a family is also better than kids viewing alone, since it turns screen time into an interactive, shared experience.

When screen habits feel out of control, Christakis suggests a full family reset. If you notice that everyone is defaulting to devices, sit down with any co-parents or caregivers and create a new plan: how much screen time is allowed, at what times, and when screens are completely off-limits (for example, at meals or before bed). Then explain the changes to your kids — and most importantly, stick with the new rules.

Finally, she reminds parents that this is a stressful season and that the pressure to be a “perfect” parent has never been higher. In her view, that ideal simply doesn’t exist.

Instead, she encourages families to focus on moderation, simple rules and self-compassion. There will be days when the plan falls apart and the screens stay on longer than you hoped. When that happens, she says, adjust, reset and give yourself some grace — then try again tomorrow.