When Rashmi Pandey looks back at the early days of parenting her daughter Nandini, one habit stands out clearly: the phone had slowly become a way to get through meals, difficult moments, and long stretches of the day.
Many parents recognise this pattern. A phone, tablet, or TV can easily become the easiest distraction, especially after the pandemic changed routines at home. But as families begin to notice how screen dependence affects children’s attention, habits, and real-life engagement, some are choosing a digital detox in their own way.
Here are the experiences of three families who reduced screen time for their children through crafts, chores, outdoor play, reading, and daily involvement at home.
Moving from screens to crafts and park visits
For Gaurav Pandey, a marketing professional, and his wife Rashmi Pandey, a homemaker from Jodhpur, the realisation came slowly at home. Like many parents after the pandemic, they began noticing how easily a phone or TV could slip into their child’s routine.
Rashmi recalls how screen time gradually became a part of their daughter’s daily routine when she was around one and a half years old. What began as occasionally letting Nandini watch television during meals soon turned into a habit, making screens an easy way to keep her occupied.
What began as an easy way to get through meals and busy days slowly became a habit that Rashmi Pandey knew she needed to change. Photograph: (Gaurav Pandey)
As the dependence became more noticeable over the years, Rashmi and her husband grew concerned about its impact. While they had been mindful of screen use earlier, they began taking more deliberate and consistent steps to reduce it over the past two years, particularly after Nandini turned four, focusing on healthier alternatives and more engaging offline activities.
The approach was gradual, with Gaurav leading the way. “I started by diverting her attention to activities like drawing, something she loves,” he explains.
They slowly moved away from the mobile screen, first shifting to limited TV time, and then reducing that too by engaging Nandini in park visits, crafts, and other activities. They also stopped using phones in the bedroom and minimised screen time in front of their daughter.
Rashmi emphasises the importance of involving Nandini in daily activities, such as preparing crafts and engaging in physical activities, including yoga videos for children. “It was simple but required a lot of engagement from us as parents,” Rashmi adds.
From craft sessions to evening park visits, small everyday activities helped this family shift their daughter’s attention away from screens. Photograph: (Gaurav Pandey)
Their advice for other parents is simple: “The biggest mistake is associating food with TV. Involve your child in everyday chores and activities, and you’ll see a positive change.”
As parents, they believe that children learn most from what they observe. To reduce their daughter’s screen time, they felt it was equally important for them to adopt healthier habits themselves.
Making everyday chores part of play
Khushboo Goel, a Dehradun-based mother and IIM Lucknow postgraduate, is the Founder and driving force behind The Hush Tree, an ecosystem committed to building the right foundation for every child. Prior to founding the venture, she spent years working as a supply chain manager before channelling her passion into early childhood development and parenting.
By turning everyday household tasks into opportunities for learning, Khushboo helped her son find excitement beyond screens. Photograph: (Khushboo Goel)
For her, managing screen time for her three-and-a-half-year-old son, Udayan, was always a conscious decision. “I always knew that screen time had a harmful effect, and I vowed not to let it become a habit for my child,” Khushboo says.
She felt that when screens fill a child’s day, they leave less room for the small things that build curiosity, creativity, and confidence.
When her son was a toddler, Khushboo and her husband took proactive steps to make home life so engaging that screens never became the default source of entertainment. Drawing inspiration from her own childhood, she involved him in everyday household activities — from setting the table and making chaach (buttermilk) to washing vegetables, folding clothes, watering plants, and helping with simple chores around the house.
“There was spillage, mess, and chaos at times, and things often took longer, but we let it be,” she shares. Over time, her son became more independent and involved. Meals, too, became interactive instead of screen-led distractions.
“He would set the dinner table and pass dishes during meals, which made him feel included,” she says. Today, watering plants and pruning leaves has become his daily routine, keeping him engaged for nearly 40 minutes every day.
Watering plants, setting the table, and helping in the kitchen became moments of discovery, responsibility, and connection. Photograph: (Khushboo Goel)
Khushboo believes that making everyday life participative and exciting naturally reduces a child’s dependence on screens. “When children are involved in real-life activities, they begin to find joy in the world around them instead of on a screen,” she adds.
Keeping screens away from entertainment
Neha Garg, who works in branding and podcasting, and Siddharth Batra, a football coach, were clear about one thing from the start: no screens until their child turned two. They wanted to raise their son, Rishaan, without making screens a daily source of entertainment.
“I remember our paediatrician telling us, ‘No screens till two years old’. At first, we were sceptical, but it made sense to us,” Neha shares.
For Neha and Siddharth, keeping screens away from entertainment created more room for play, books, movement, and conversation. Photograph: (Neha Garg)
As they read more about how screens can affect young children, their decision began to feel less like a rule and more like something their family truly believed in.
Their son, now three, has never used a screen for entertainment. “His introduction to screens was very deliberate. It started with watching old videos of himself and later video calls with his grandparents, so it was never about mindless consumption,” Neha explains. The couple uses screens only for specific purposes, such as checking sports scores, communication, or work.
Their strategy for keeping Rishaan engaged? A balanced mix of play, reading, and everyday tasks. “We involve him in everything, from helping with chores to engaging in physical activities. He even helps us with our community work for rescue dogs,” Neha adds.
For Neha and Siddharth, the key has been clear communication and commitment. “We don’t miss screens because we’ve never introduced them as a form of entertainment. It’s about creating a life together, where screens aren’t the default.”
Helping children find joy beyond screens
For these three families, reducing screen time began with simple choices: one meal without TV, one phone kept away, one chore done together, one walk to the park.
When parents choose presence over convenience, children often discover that the real world has plenty to offer. Photograph: (Khushboo Goel & Neha Garg)
It took time, patience, and full parent involvement. But slowly, the children began looking up from screens and finding joy in the world around them. The truth is simple: children do not always need more toys, bigger plans, or perfect routines. They need parents who are present enough to include them.
And sometimes, a child’s digital detox begins when an adult chooses to put the phone down first.
