Screen time as a reward
Screen time can work well as a reward, as long as it's a clear, agreed amount that your child saves up for, not something they argue for each day. In Little Streaks, your child earns a star for each routine they finish, and you decide what extra screen time costs in stars. When they've saved enough, they ask a grown-up, and you choose when it happens.
Is screen time a good reward?
For many families, yes. It's something most kids want, it costs nothing, and it's easy to give in small amounts. Some parents prefer not to tie screens to good behaviour at all, and that's a reasonable choice too. If screens already cause arguments in your house, you might start with other rewards and see how it goes. There are plenty of ideas in reward ideas for kids that aren't toys.
What makes it work is that the reward is extra screen time, on top of whatever your family already allows, and that the rules are set before it's earned.
How much screen time should a reward be?
That's up to you, and it helps to put the amount in the reward's name, like "30 minutes of screen time" or "A movie on Saturday". Your child knows exactly what they're saving for, and there's nothing to negotiate when it's time to give it.
How many stars should screen time cost?
Little Streaks suggests "Extra screen time" at 10 stars as a starting point, and you can change it to anything from 1 to 200. Since a finished routine earns one star, 10 stars is roughly a few days of routines for a child with two or three a day. A smaller amount for fewer stars means it comes around often. A bigger treat, like a movie night, can cost more so it feels worth saving for.
How do you set it up in Little Streaks?
- Open Rewards and pass the grown-up check.
- Add "Extra screen time" from the suggestions, or create your own reward with its own name, icon and star cost.
- Your child earns a star each time they finish a routine, and sees their stars fill up towards the reward.
- When they have enough, the reward shows "Ready to claim!" and they tap it to ask a grown-up.
- You pass the grown-up check and give the reward, or cancel if now isn't a good time. Cancelling leaves their stars where they are.
Little Streaks keeps track of the stars, not the minutes. It doesn't time or limit screen use, so you'll still run the clock yourself. More on how approvals work is in grown-up controls.
When should earned screen time happen?
Agree on this before the first reward is claimed. A few rules that families find easy to keep:
- After routines, not instead of them. Screen time comes once the after-school or homework routine is done.
- Not right before bed. If your evening has a wind-down, keep earned screen time earlier in the day.
- A grown-up picks the time. Saving enough stars means the reward is ready, not that it starts this minute.
How do you end screen time without a fight?
- Say how long before it starts, and say it again when it begins.
- Give a warning a few minutes before time's up, so it's not a surprise.
- Use a timer your child can see, so the timer ends it, not you.
- Have the next thing ready, like dinner, a walk or a screen-free activity.
- Keep the deal the same each time. If ending well is part of the deal, say so up front.
What if it isn't working?
Change the reward rather than the routine. Make screen time cost more stars, swap it for something else your child wants, or keep it for weekends. You can edit a reward's name and cost at any time, and your child's saved stars stay as they are. If a reward was given by mistake, you can delete it from the star history to give the stars back.
Little Streaks is a routines and rewards app for kids, for iPhone and iPad. Free to start, with up to two routines.
