For ages 2 to 5, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) talks not only about how long screen time lasts but how it is spent: it recommends that parents watch or play together with their child, help them understand what they see, and apply it to the world around them. We cover the amount in a separate article. This one is about turning a few minutes into a conversation.
Why together matters
According to Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child, the back-and-forth between a child and an adult – the child signals, the adult responds – builds and strengthens connections in the child's brain. That back-and-forth can happen in front of a screen too: when your child points at something and you answer.
Six habits
1. Sit down together at the start
For the first few minutes, watch what they are doing and ask about it. Once they have the hang of it, you can stay beside them quietly.
2. Ask, don't test
"What do you think happens next?" "Which one would you choose?" An open question starts a conversation; "what's two plus two?" starts an exam.
3. Take it to the rug
What happened on the screen can carry on in real life: if you looked for colours, look for them in the room; if you counted, count spoons.
4. Agree in advance when it ends
If your child knows it's "two more games, then dinner", stopping is easier. Switching off out of the blue usually ends in an argument.
5. Keep some times and places screen-free
For children 6 and older, the AAP recommends media-free times, such as dinner or driving, and media-free places, such as bedrooms. It's a good habit to start earlier, too.
6. Have something to do instead
When time's up, a concrete idea helps: "Let's build a tower!" A bare "switch it off" is harder.
With Teki
Teki is built for playing together: many games need only a few blocks and a cushion, and you set the daily screen time. When it's up, Teki suggests something to play together instead. How Teki works
Sources
- Media and Young Minds – AAP, Pediatrics 138(5), 2016 (read 24 September 2026)
- American Academy of Pediatrics Announces New Recommendations for Children's Media Use – AAP press release, 21 October 2016 (Newswise) (read 24 September 2026)
- Serve and Return – Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University (read 24 September 2026)
