Recharge family life with back-to-school tech detox

If your summer holiday saw screen time soar, you're not alone. Children spent up to 67% of their time on them while off school, a study found. Mum-of-two Hannah Britt reveals how to cut back without tears

- Edited by HANNAH BRITT

Our summer was full of sea, sand, sun... and screen time. K-Pop Demon Hunters, anyone? But with September now in full swing, it's time to crack down - and fast.

The latest statistics show that, for primary-aged children, 29% spend two or more hours per day on screens during the school week, but that number jumps to an eye-watering 67% in the holidays.

Parenting expert Kirsty Ketley (@kirstykparentingspecialist on Instagram) knows the struggle.

"School provides children with structure and builtin limits on screen use, and of course, once home, there are less hours in the day for screens, but once the holidays arrive, that structure disappears," she says.

"Parents are often juggling work, childcare, and the cost of keeping kids entertained, so screens naturally become a convenient option. On top of that, digital entertainment is designed to be engaging and hard to switch off from, so it's no surprise children gravitate towards it when they have long stretches of free time."

So what's the issue?