I’m a mom of 3 and struggled to keep my kids off screens. 4 strategies have helped get them outside more. [Video]

I’ll admit it: I have a hard time managing my kids’ screen use. As a mom of three boys I noticed that I was relying a lot on screens.

When I think back to my childhood, before the cellphone and iPad era, I spent time playing outside and getting creative with things around the house, like a cardboard box.

I look back on how I got here, struggling with my kids’ use of smartphones, tablets, video games, computers, and TVs. Over time, the technology creep has taken over.

Using screens became an easy fix

When my oldest was little, I bought him an iPad for a long airplane flight. I thought, “How great is this?” He could sit on a plane quietly and not bother others sitting nearby. He played on educational apps and watched educational shows.

Eventually, we also started bringing iPads to restaurants, on car rides, and other places where they needed to sit for long periods.

Screen usage became an easy fix …