Screen time · ages 2 to 9
How much screen time is right? And how to make it count.
You don't need a lecture. You need a number, a few rules that stick, and something better for the screen time that happens anyway.
Your first book is on us. No card needed.
What the guidelines say
The World Health Organization advises no sitting screen time for children under 2, and no more than one hour a day for ages 2 to 4, with less being better. For older children the advice is about balance: enough sleep, active play and reading first.
The kind of screen time matters too. Watching alone isn't the same as reading, talking and making something together.
Screen time rules that actually hold
- No screens at meals or in the hour before bed.
- A set time each day, so the time is the rule and you aren't the bad guy.
- Screens stay in the living room, not the bedroom.
- The last screen of the day is something you share: a story, not a game.
Swap one screen session for story time
Mr de Beer lets you make a picture book together with your child as the hero: their name, their dog, their adventure. He drafts the words and paints the pages; you decide every word.
Read it together on the screen, let it read itself aloud in English or Afrikaans, or order a printed copy from R999, so bedtime can happen with the tablet away.
Tonight's bedtime story could be theirs.
Ten minutes to build. Your first book is on us. Yours to keep.
Questions
What parents ask first.
How much screen time for a 5 year old?
The WHO's one-hour guide covers ages 2 to 4. From 5 up, most advice is about balance: consistent limits, no screens before bed, and making sure sleep, play and reading come first.
What can we do instead of screen time before bed?
Read together. A book your child stars in works especially well, because they want to hear it again. Mr de Beer can print yours from R999.
Is Mr de Beer just more screen time?
It's screen time you do together, and it ends in a book you can hold. You make the book on a screen together, and you can order it as a printed book to read at bedtime.
What does it cost?
Your first book is on us (20 free credits for a new account, while they last). No card needed.