Should kids use phones or screens at dinner?

It’s dinnertime. Your toddler is watching a show, your first grader is playing a game on a tablet, and you’re scrolling on your phone. After a long day, sometimes that’s just what dinner looks like. And it can leave you wondering if it’s a problem.

Here’s the short answer: When your family eats together, try to put screens away. Device-free meals make time to talk and connect. But you don’t need a total ban. Even one screen-free dinner a week is a good place to start.

Read on to find out why screen-free meals matter, plus get expert tips to make them work in your home.

Whether or not screens are OK at dinner depends on what dinner looks like at your house. “Some families eat dinner together around a table,” says Kristin J. Carothers, PhD, a clinical psychologist who works with kids and families. “Other families eat dinner whenever and wherever each family member can grab it.”

When everyone eats together, Carothers has simple advice: “Try to put the screens away.” Shared meals are a chance to talk and connect, and phones tend to get in the way.

When mealtimes happen on the fly, the rules can be looser — think of a to-go meal on the way to practice or a night when not everyone is home. Going screen-free isn’t a must in those moments. In fact, screens can help. “For older kids who are home alone, a screen may be good company if they’re eating by themselves,” Carothers says.

Regular family meals can be good for everyone at the table. Kids who eat with their family three or more times a week are more likely to have healthier eating habits, fewer signs of depression, and better grades, according to the American Academy of Pediatricsopens in a new tab (AAP). 

Other research links family meals to fewer risky behaviors in teensopens in a new tab, like substance use. Plus, frequent family meals can provide more moments of connection and better well-beingopens in a new tab for parents and others in the household. 

Family dinners can also help build language skillsopens in a new tab. When young kids hear parents and siblings tell stories about their day or share their thoughts and opinions, they pick up new words. The AAP notes that kids learn more new words this way than from hearing books read aloud. A bigger vocabulary can lead to better communication and stronger reading skills over time.

But a TV on in the background or a phone at the table can distract and crowd out those family conversationsopens in a new tab, the AAP says. And screens at meals are common. A 2026 study found that more than 70 percent of parents and kids use devicesopens in a new tab at their family meals. 

You don’t need to give up screens at every meal. But making some of those meals screen-free can help you make the most of them.

A few small steps can make screen-free dinners easier to start and stick with. 

Carothers suggests starting with a family meeting. “Say that you’ve noticed everyone is on their screens at dinner and that as a family you don’t have enough time to talk to each other,” she says. 

You don’t have to dwell on what’s wrong with the screens. Instead, focus on the benefits of going screen-free. “Explain that talking at dinner can help strengthen family ties,” Carothers says.

Going from screens at most meals to no screens at every meal can be a hard switch for kids. Instead, Carothers suggests “starting low and going slow.” Pick one night a week for a device-free dinner.

Once you’ve done it a few times, keep things positive. “Celebrate afterwards by doing something fun together, like playing a game,” she says.

Choose a place for devices to go during dinner, like a basket by the door or a charging station in the kitchen. When phones and tablets are out of sight, it’s easier for everyone to stay off them — adults included.

Changing screen time habits isn’t easy. “That makes it all the more important for adults to practice what we preach,” says Carothers. “If we’re telling our kids not to look at screens during dinner, we need to put our devices away.”

“Come up with guidelines about screen time, and tell your child why you’re putting these rules in place,” Carothers says. Working on the rules together can help your child feel involved and have a say in the plan. Ask your child: Which days of the week are best to try this out? What do they think the family will get out of eating together without screens?

Try not to be too black-and-white about mealtime screen rules. “Talk about exceptions to these rules, too,” Carothers says. “Don’t try to dive in and banish screens at dinner for the rest of eternity.”

A screen at mealtime might make sense:

• On family movie night, when you eat and watch together

• When everyone’s worn out after a long day and needs to unwind

• When an older child needs your full attention, and a tablet keeps a toddler busy

• At restaurants or long holiday meals

“Let’s say your child has a hard time sitting still and is fidgeting at a restaurant or at a holiday meal with family,” Carothers says. “That’s a time when it might be OK to use a screen at dinner, or to take a short screen break away from the table.”

Once you’ve started having some screen-free meals, try to make the most of them. “Use the time to find out what’s going on in each other’s lives,” Carothers suggests. “Ask your child something specific about school or their personal interests. Tell your child about a project you’re working on and ask for ideas on how to make it better.”

For some kids, including many kids with ADHD, sitting through an entire meal can be hard. Try a few ADHD mealtime strategies:

• Make a game plan with your child before the meal. Talk about what a good dinner looks like. Remind them of meals that went well. 

• Agree on how long your child will sit at the table, and adjust as needed.

• Bring fun activities that can be done at the table: coloring books, mazes, stickers, crayons, cards, etc.

• Keep fidgets handy, and allow quick movement breaks.

• Offer small rewards for sticking to the plan.

• Be patient and have realistic expectations for your child.

Some nights, the phone or tablet will win. That’s OK. The goal is more moments of connection, not a perfect record.