The holidays are here, and you’re trying to do everything at once—cooking dinner, wrapping gifts, and keeping visiting relatives happy. At the same time, your toddler might be pulling on your shirt asking for the tablet, your phone, or “just one more” holiday movie. Does this sound familiar?
During holiday break, screens often become the easy answer when you need to get things done or when everyone’s stuck inside. But while screens can give you a break, too much can leave your little ones cranky, overstimulated, and harder to soothe than before.
However, you can find a healthy balance that works for your family during the holiday season. Let’s explore how to make screen time work for your family, not against you.
Limiting screen time matters, especially for children under 5. Too much TV-watching can hurt how well young children learn language, reading, and how well they move their bodies. When your child spends hours just watching shows, they miss out on the talking back and forth that helps their brain learn language skills. Think about it this way: When your 2-year-old watches a cartoon, the characters talk at them, not with them. But when you’re playing together, reading a book, or talking during snack time, your child gets to practice answering, asking questions, and using new words. For example, instead of watching a 30-minute show about colors, your child learns more when you spend 10 minutes walking around the house saying, “I see a red apple! What red things do you see?” This kind of talking helps their brain grow much faster.
Watch for these warning signs that screens might be taking over:
Major meltdowns when screen time ends: Your child cries, screams, or has big tantrums when you turn off devices. These fits might last longer than 10–15 minutes or happen every single time.
Asking for screens all the time: They beg for tablets, phones, or TV throughout the day, even right after screen time just ended.
No interest in other activities: They don’t want to play with toys, go outside, or do arts and crafts anymore. When you suggest these activities, they might say “That's boring” or refuse to try.
Sleep problems: They have trouble falling or staying asleep, or they wake up too early. This often happens because screens make their brains too excited before bedtime.
More negative behavior: They seem more cranky, impatient, or mean to siblings after screen time ends.
If you notice these signs, don’t worry. You can turn things around with some simple changes. Let’s look at practical ways to create healthier screen time habits during the holidays.
The easiest way to reduce screen time is to have fun alternatives ready to go. When your child knows there are other exciting things to do, they’ll be less likely to ask for screens. Here are holiday activities that might work well:
Finger-painted Christmas trees: Help your child dip their whole hand in green paint and press it on paper to make a tree shape. Then use their fingertips to dot on “decorations” with paint colors of your choice. Add cotton balls for snow.
Holiday decorations: Give them construction paper, glue sticks, and small items like buttons, uncooked pasta, or torn tissue paper. Let them create their own holiday cards or decorations.
Holiday “sleigh rides”: Put your child on an old blanket or sheet and carefully pull them around the house while singing holiday songs. Stop at different “destinations” like the kitchen (North Pole Snack Station) or living room (Reindeer Rest Stop).
Holiday scavenger hunt: Make a simple list with pictures for nonreaders—find something red, something that jingles, something soft. Walk around your house together and check off items as you find them.
Holiday story time: Check out holiday books from your local library and read together on the couch with hot cocoa.
You can find more activities you can do daily here.
Having fun alternatives is just the first step. You also need clear rules that your child can understand and follow.
Children handle limits better when they know what to expect, so it’s important to set clear boundaries before holiday break starts. Decide on specific times and amounts—instead of saying “not too much screen time,” be exact. Say, “You can watch one 30-minute show after lunch and one before dinner.” If your child is older, let them help make the rules by asking, “How much screen time do you think is fair each day?” This gives them some control and makes them more likely to follow the rules.
For younger children, make it visual by using timers they can understand. You could try to create a daily picture schedule that shows screen time, meals, playtime, and other activities with simple drawings they can follow. You could also try “screen time tokens” by giving them 2–3 special coins or cards each day that they can “spend” on screen time. When the tokens are gone, screen time is over. Put devices completely out of reach when it's not screen time to help reduce temptation.
Of course, some screen time will still happen during the holidays, and that’s okay. When your child does watch shows or use devices, focus on making that time high-quality. Not all screen time is the same. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children ages 18 months to 5 years old should only watch high-quality programs. Choose educational content by picking programs that teach specific skills like letters, numbers, colors, or how to get along with others. Look for interactive shows that ask your child questions like, “Can you find the red circle?” and give them time to answer. Avoid overstimulating content with fast-paced scenes, loud music, or scary parts that can make young brains too excited.
Watch together when you can and make it interactive by asking questions during the show: “What do you think will happen next?” “How do you think that character feels?” and “What would you do if that happened to you?” Connect what they're watching to real life—if they’re watching a show about friendship, talk about their own friends, or if it's about animals, maybe plan a trip to see real animals at a zoo or farm.
Quality screen time could also turn into special family traditions. You could pick one favorite movie each week to watch together. Have family members alternate picking the movie so everyone can be involved. Add popcorn or treats for a fun home movie theater night.
Even with the best boundaries and quality content, the hardest moment often comes when it’s time to turn screens off. Here are tips to make those transitions smoother:
Connect first: Before turning off the device, sit next to your child and show interest in what they’re watching. Put your hand on their back and say something like, “Wow, you're watching your favorite show! Tell me what's happening right now.” This helps them feel less alone.
Give specific warnings: Instead of vague warnings, be exact: “This episode has 5 more minutes, and then we're turning it off” or “After this game is over, it will be time for lunch.”
End at natural stopping points: Don’t turn off devices in the middle of a show or game. Wait for an episode to finish or a game level to complete. This feels fair to your child and reduces arguments.
Then, plan what comes next. Make the transition easier by having a fun activity ready before screen time ends, like setting out art supplies, a snack, or a favorite book. Don’t forget to communicate what will come next so your child knows what to expect. You might say, “After we turn off the tablet, we’re going to make those holiday cookies we talked about!” or “When this show is over, we're going to build that blanket fort in the living room!” Having something to look forward to helps your child move from the “screen world” to the real world more easily.
Even with the best planning, you’ll probably still deal with some screen time meltdowns. You might need to wait for the big feelings to pass before trying to talk, but having a meltdown plan ready could help:
Stay calm and acknowledge their feelings: Take a deep breath, get down to their eye-level, and use a gentle voice: “I know you’re upset that screen time is over. It’s hard to stop doing something fun.”
Offer comfort without giving in: Say, “Would you like a hug while you feel sad about the show ending?” Don't give in to demands for more screen time but do show you understand their feelings.
Stick to your plan: Meltdowns are normal and will get better as your child learns the new routine, but consistency is key.
What if you’ve already tried these strategies but feel like screens have completely taken over your holiday? Don’t worry, you can reset at any time. If screen time has gotten out of control, you might want to enforce a temporary break for a set amount of time or start over with new rules.
For a break, adjust the time to what will work best for your family. It might be an hour, a morning, or even a whole day. During this time, put all devices in one place. You could create a “charging station” where all tablets, phones, and remotes go during screen-free time. Set a good example. This includes adult devices too! This shows your child that the rule applies to everyone and makes it feel less like punishment.
If screen time has become a daily battle, it might be time to start over with new rules. It’s okay to set limits, even when your child doesn’t like it. Explain the new rules clearly and simply. You can say something like, “We're going to try something new with screen time. From now on, we’ll watch one show after lunch, and that’s it for the day.”
Be ready for pushback and stay consistent even when your child complains. Remember that complaining doesn’t mean your rules are wrong—it’s a normal part of learning new boundaries. At the same time, don’t forget to celebrate small successes for positive reinforcement. When your child follows the rules, acknowledge it right away with something like, “You turned off the tablet the first time I asked! That was great listening.” These moments of praise help reinforce the behavior you want to see.
Managing screen time during the holidays doesn’t have to be perfect. The goal is finding a balance that works for your family and helps your child develop healthy habits. Remember that some screen time is fine, quality matters more than quantity, and you can adjust your approach anytime. Start small, stay steady, and trust that your child will benefit from the loving boundaries you set.
