Is your child into the extremely popular video game Fortnite? If so, it may have started to consume their entire life. With the summer coming up, you're probably thinking of a way to prevent them from sitting in front of a screen all summer long.
While this may seem impossible at first, there are a few tips you can use to help make this happen. Keep in mind, you are the parent and if your child refuses to do anything but play Fortnite, you can always take the game away as a last resort.
Encourage Your Child to Get Outside
Getting outside and participating in some type of physical activity is one of the best ways to keep your child from having too much screen time. You may even want to set up a reward program. For the amount of time spent outdoors participating in some type of physical activity, your child can have a small amount of screen time to play their favorite game. Brain Balance recommends limiting your child’s screen time to no more than one hour per day.
Lead by Example
If you want to keep your child from spending all their time in front of a screen, then you need to lead by example. Show them they don’t need to always be plugged in to have fun and enjoy the summer day. Do this by getting off your own phone or computer. This will be the best way to ensure that your child isn’t seeing you spend all your time on devices. Teens emulate the actions of their parents.
Encourage Your Child to Earn Money by Doing Odd Jobs
Regardless of your child’s age, earning money is typically a great motivator. By offering your child the opportunity to complete tasks above and beyond their regular chores and responsibilities for a small payment, you can reduce screen time and get them to do something productive. This doesn’t have to be a lot of money and keep in mind, the tasks need to be age appropriate.
If you want to beat your child’s Fortnite Fever and ensure that your summer is Fortnite free, we encourage you to use the tips here. Doing so will help ensure your child has other things on his/her mind besides playing a video game all day. In the long run, both you and your teen will be happier and healthier throughout the summer months. Learn more about our screen time recommendations here.