Should You Give Your Kids Screen Time on Long Road Trips?

The short answer is yes. What are you crazy? But not everyone agrees.

Did you know that 73% of U.S. travelers would prefer a road trip over flying? And 83% of people plan to drive to their summer vacation destination this year.

Everyone’s talking about how expensive airfare is nowadays, so it makes sense more people are hitting the road. But here’s the million-dollar question for parents: How much screen time are you doling out for your kids?

A lot of parents out there are strict with screen time.

There’s one lady that says she only lets her kids listen to audiobooks. If I was that kid, I’d be looking at my emancipation options.

But apparently being strict is far from the norm. According to the CDC, here is the average amount of screen time given to kids daily. Not just on road trips, but every day:

• 8-10 years old: Six hours
• 11-14 years old: Nine hours
• 15-18 years old: Seven and 1/2 hours

So if an 11-14 year old is averaging nine hours on screens per day, surely for a 500-mile road trip, they get to be on an iPad the entire time, right?

Why 500 you might ask? Because I need advice. I’m driving from Tennessee to Michigan and my wife thinks the kids need a break for their eyes. But I think I might need a break from all the questions. I love them, but is nine hours really that bad?

I would have played nine straight hours of Game Boy when I was their age, but the batteries would’ve never lasted that long.