Screens and smartphones: less is more

Smartphones and endless screens are designed to be hard to put down — and they quietly harm children’s sleep, attention and temper.

Healthy limits

• Under 2 years: avoid screens almost entirely.
• Older children: keep recreational screens under 1 hour a day.
• No screens during meals or in the hour before bed.

What to offer instead

• Outdoor play, books, drawing, and unstructured time.

Children copy parents — putting your own phone down is the most powerful lesson.