Summer is here—and with it comes a golden opportunity that slips away far too quickly: time with your kids. As parents, we only get 18 summers. That’s it. Eighteen windows to create memories, build trust, and shape the hearts of our children.

But something is quietly stealing that time—and it glows from the palm of their hands.

Between smartphones, video games, and social media, more kids are spending their summer in front of a screen instead of engaged in real life. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids ages 8 to 18 now spend an average of 7.5 hours a day on entertainment media—that’s more time than they spend sleeping.

And the impact is serious. Research links excessive screen time to higher rates of anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and even obesity in children and teens.

But there’s good news: You don’t have to settle for a summer of silence and screens. With a little intentionality, this can be the season your family reconnects, grows stronger, and rediscovers what matters most.

Here are five research-backed, real-life steps to help you take back your summer:

1. Set Tech Boundaries—and Stick to Them

Kids need structure—even if they push against it. One of the best gifts you can give them is healthy limits. Set screen-free times during meals, outings, and before bed. The National Sleep Foundation warns that using screens an hour before bedtime can delay sleep and reduce quality rest.

Try a “No Tech Tuesday,” create daily curfews, or establish offline hours. Use built-in controls like Apple’s Screen Time or Google Family Link to help reinforce boundaries.

They may push back—but one day, they’ll thank you for protecting their time, minds, and memories.

2. Replace Screen Time With Real Time

Kids don’t just need less screen time—they need more meaning-filled time.

A study in the Journal of Child Development found that shared parent-child activities—like playing, exploring, or creating—boost emotional health, brain development, and even academic performance.

Create a family “Summer Bucket List” that includes beach days, game nights, hikes, or service projects. Don’t aim for perfect—aim for being present. When you engage in life together, you give them something better than entertainment. You give them you.

3. Make Mealtimes Sacred

Want an easy way to improve your child’s grades, confidence, and well-being? Eat dinner together.

Harvard researchers found that regular family meals lead to better self-esteem, stronger academics, and healthier eating habits. In fact, family dinners are a stronger predictor of success than even time spent on homework.

So turn off the TV. Put phones in a basket. Ask questions like, “What made you laugh today?” or “What are you thankful for this week?” Make the dinner table a screen-free zone—and a safe place for meaningful conversation.

4. Lead By Example

If we want our kids to unplug, we need to show them how.

A 2018 Common Sense Media study revealed that nearly half of parents admit to struggling with their own screen use—and kids are paying attention. They’re far more likely to self-regulate when they see you doing the same.

Read a book. Go for a walk. Be fully present at meals. Let them catch you living offline. Your example will shape their habits far more than your rules.

5. Speak Into Their Soul

This isn’t just a screen-time issue—it’s a heart-time opportunity. What if this summer was about more than unplugging? What if it became the season you spoke life into your child?

Clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour notes that today’s teens are overwhelmed by digital comparison and cultural anxiety. They don’t just need entertainment—they need anchoring.

Use this time to speak truth and identity over them. Remind them they are loved, valuable, capable, and created for a purpose. Teach them to connect with God and find their worth beyond likes, followers, or filters.

The Bottom Line:

You only get 18 summers with your kids. Don’t let screens, social media, or video games rob you of the moments that matter most.

This summer doesn’t have to be screen-free. It just needs to be intentional.

Choose time over tech. Presence over pixels. Faith over filters.

Because at the end of the day, your kids won’t remember the TikToks they watched…But they will remember the time you spent—just being with them.

Rodney Gage is a family mentor, and author of The Winning Family: 5 Essential Shifts Every Parents Needs to Win At Home, and founding pastor of ReThink Life Church in Lake Nona. For more resources to build a stronger home, check out thewinningfamily.com and rethinklife.com