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Screen Time Management

Healthy screen time is about balance. Tubara helps you set reasonable limits while maintaining flexibility for special circumstances.

Why Screen Time Matters

We base our recommendations on WHO and AAP guidelines:

Age Recommended Daily Limit
3-5 years 1 hour
6-8 years 1-2 hours
9-11 years 2 hours
12-17 years 2-3 hours (negotiable)

These Are Guidelines

You know your children best. Tubara provides tools - you make the decisions.

Setting Screen Time Limits

Step 1: Open Child Profile Settings

  1. Go to "Manage Profiles"
  2. Click on your child's profile
  3. Select "Screen Time Settings"

[Screenshot: Profile settings page with Screen Time highlighted]

Step 2: Set Daily Limit

  1. Use the slider or enter a time manually
  2. Choose whether weekends have different limits
  3. Click "Save"

[Screenshot: Screen time slider interface]

Pro Tip

Start conservative - you can always increase the limit. It's harder to decrease it once set!

Step 3: (Optional) Set Quiet Hours

Prevent viewing during specific times:

  • Meal times
  • Homework hours
  • Bedtime

[Screenshot: Quiet hours configuration]

How Children Experience Limits

Your child will see:

  1. A friendly countdown timer - Shows remaining time for the day
  2. 15-minute warning - "You have 15 minutes left today"
  3. 5-minute warning - "Almost time to finish up"
  4. Gentle limit reached - "All done for today! See you tomorrow ✨"

[Screenshot: Child view with countdown timer]

Overriding Time Limits

When to Override

Valid reasons: ✅ Finishing an educational video series ✅ Special occasions (rainy day, travel) ✅ Watching with parent supervision ✅ Educational research for homework

How to Override

  1. Click "Add More Time"
  2. Enter your parental password
  3. Grant 15, 30, or 60 minutes
  4. Optional: Add a note for yourself (why you extended)

Override Tracking

Your weekly report shows how often you've overridden limits. This helps you stay accountable to your own rules.

[Screenshot: Override confirmation screen]

Weekly Screen Time Reports

Every Monday, you'll receive:

  • Total viewing time per child
  • Most-watched channels
  • Categories watched (Science, Math, etc.)
  • Override frequency
  • Comparison to previous week

[Screenshot: Email report example]

Understanding the Report

Green indicators: Child stayed within limits
Yellow indicators: Slight overages
Red indicators: Significant overages (time to reassess)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my child bypass the time limit?

No. The limit is enforced server-side, not in the browser. Even if they:

  • Clear browser cookies
  • Use a different device
  • Close and reopen the app

The timer continues. Only your parental password can add time.

What if I have multiple children sharing a tablet?

Each child has their own profile and independent time limit. They must switch profiles, which resets the timer to their remaining time.

Can I set different limits for different days?

Yes! Configure weekday vs. weekend limits in Screen Time Settings.

My child is finishing a really good documentary but time's up. What do I do?

Use the override! This is exactly what it's for. Better to finish valuable content than cut it off arbitrarily.

Is screen time limit per day or per 24 hours?

Per calendar day. Resets at midnight in your local timezone.

Adjusting as Children Grow

Annual Screen Time Review

We recommend reviewing limits once per year on your child's birthday:

Questions to ask: - Is my child self-regulating better? - Are they meeting responsibilities (homework, chores, sleep)? - Do they ask for breaks naturally? - Are they engaging with other activities?

If yes to most → Consider increasing limits
If no to most → Keep current limits or decrease

Gradual Independence

As children approach teen years (13+), consider:

  • Gradually increasing limits
  • Teaching self-monitoring
  • Discussing healthy habits
  • Transitioning to trust-based limits

Troubleshooting

Problem: Timer seems inaccurate
Solution: Check your device's system time. Tubara uses your local timezone.

Problem: Limits don't apply
Solution: Ensure you're logged in as the child, not the parent. Parent view has no limits.

Problem: Override password not working
Solution: Reset it in Settings → Security → Parental Password

Still Need Help?

We're here for you: support@tubara.world

Last updated: November 2025