One challenge I hear from clients in regards to their kids and computers is how to manage the amount of time they spend gazing at the screen.  Well, it’s never too early to work on time management, and one way to help kids learn to budget time is to use a token system. 

First, decide how much computer time is acceptable.  Most experts suggest no more than one hour per day.  Every Sunday, hand out 28 tokens (pennies, marbles, poker chips or whatever you have on hand).  Each token represents 15 minutes. Whenever your child wants computer time, they have to pay up. Once the tokens are exhausted, there’s no more computer time until the following Sunday, when the next week’s tokens are handed out.  The only exception is for school age children, who may require the computer for homework help.  (But in that case, you should monitor them so they stay on task.)

More frugal kids may save up their tokens, and even have some left at the end of the week.  Others may use them all within the first 3 days.  Either way, they will gradually learn how to budget their computer time. And hopefully the tug and war between you, your child, and the computer will become less of a battle and more of a compromise.

Simply yours,

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