Most parents will tell you navigating kids and devices often feels like a no-win situation.
Screens are hard to avoid and limiting their use becomes a frustrating game of whack-a-mole.
All that is contributing to an ongoing issue with children - they aren’t getting enough sleep. Many kids are staying up late to sneak time on screens, staring at everything from social media to video games.
Now Consumer Reports has a solution for battle-weary parents - turn off the WiFi at night. The good news for parents who still want to stream after the kids head to bed is that you don’t have to unplug your router.
Most modern routers now include parental controls. If you look on the back panel you’ll find login information. Once you are in, look for time scheduling or parent controls. On most systems, you will be able to set a schedule for each device using the router.
When it comes to setting that schedule, remember that experts recommend restricting screen use for an hour or more before bed. The blue light we absorb from screens can disrupt our sleep schedule so you need to turn those devices off well before bedtime.
School-age kids need between nine and 11 hours of sleep while teens need between eight and ten hours.