Family screen-time pledge — print, sign, post on the fridge

A one-page agreement between you and your kid: three sections (their commitments, your commitments, and shared rules), signed by both, dated. Click any text to edit. Use your browser’s print dialog to print or save as PDF.

How to use this

  1. Fill in the names and date at the top of the pledge.
  2. Read through the kid’s commitments together. Edit any line by clicking on it.
  3. Read through the parent’s commitments. Yes, parents commit too — that’s the point.
  4. Agree on the shared rules — weekday hours, weekend hours, no screens at meals.
  5. Click “Print or save as PDF” at the top, sign both copies, post one on the fridge.
  6. Revisit every 3 months. Adjust as the kid grows.

Our family screen-time pledge

Between [kid’s name] and [parent’s name], dated June 11, 2026.

What I (the kid) will do

  1. I will finish my homework before gaming.
  2. I will stop playing when the timer says it’s over — even if I’m mid-match.
  3. I will use kind words in voice and text chat.
  4. I will tell a parent if a stranger tries to talk to me online.
  5. I will ask before buying anything in a game (V-Bucks, Robux, skins).

What I (the parent) will do

  1. I will give you a reasonable amount of time to play with friends.
  2. I will explain why we have these rules instead of just saying “because.”
  3. I will not use “no screens” as punishment for things unrelated to screens.
  4. I will read your favourite game’s rules and chat policies so I understand what you’re doing.
  5. I will revisit this pledge with you every three months.

Our shared rules

  • Weekday gaming time: up to 1 hour, after homework.
  • Weekend gaming time: up to 2–3 hours per day.
  • No devices at meals.
  • No screens after 9:00 pm on a school night.
  • Bedrooms are PC-free (the gaming PC lives in the family room).
  • Add your own: [your rule here]
 
Kid’s signature · [name]
 
Parent’s signature · [name]
 
Date

Adapted from a free template at mygamingpc.ca/tools/screen-time-pledge/. Revisit every three months.

Why a written pledge actually helps

Three reasons we recommend a written pledge over a verbal “here are the rules”:

  • It reduces daily arguments. The pledge is the answer instead of you being the answer. “Remember what we agreed?” lands better than “because I said so.”
  • It gives the kid agency. They had a say in the rules, even if you wrote the first draft. They’re a participant, not the target.
  • It removes parent-as-villain framing. The PC turning off at 9:30 pm is the pledge, not you. The screen-time cap on Windows is the pledge, not you. You’re the parent who agreed to the same things; the pledge is the impartial referee.

What it doesn’t do: replace the relationship. The pledge works because the conversation around it works. If you sit down together for ten minutes to fill it out, you’ve done the most important part already.

How to set it up technically

The pledge is the cultural layer. The structural layer lives in the OS:

  • Windows 11 Family Safety — daily screen-time caps, schedule windows (no PC after 9:30 pm), per-app time budgets, content filters. Setup guide.
  • Steam Families — daily playtime cap per Steam game, allowed-games list. Setup guide.
  • Epic Playtime Reports — weekly email summary of Fortnite playtime. Setup guide.

The pledge handles the “why,” the OS handles the “what time the PC turns off.” Both matter. More on layered screen-time.

Adapt this for your family

The defaults above are starting points, not a script. Religious or cultural adaptations are welcome. Single-parent or two-household adaptations are welcome. Multi-kid households often need a separate pledge per kid (different ages, different games). The point is the conversation, not the exact wording.

Frequently asked questions

Does my kid actually need to sign this?

It works better when they do. The point of a written pledge is mutual agreement — your kid is part of the conversation, not the target of a rule. The signature is symbolic but the symbolism matters. It also makes it easier to refer back to ("you signed it, remember?") when there's an inevitable disagreement.

What ages is this for?

Roughly 7–14. Younger than 7, the pledge is too abstract — a simple visual chart works better. Older than 14, kids start having reasonable input on the actual rules and the pledge becomes a negotiated document rather than a parent-led one. We use plain language a 10-year-old can understand without help.

Can I edit any of the rules?

Yes — every line in the pledge above is editable. Click any text and type. The defaults are starting points; your family's actual rules will be different, and they should be. Religious, cultural, household-specific adaptations are welcome.

Will this replace OS-level screen-time limits?

No — it complements them. The pledge is the cultural layer; Windows 11 Family Safety is the structural layer. Both matter. The pledge handles the &ldquo;why are we doing this?&rdquo; conversation; Family Safety handles the &ldquo;PC won't start a game at 9:30 pm&rdquo; mechanic. <a href="/parental-controls/screen-time/">More on the layered approach.</a>

Related