Screen-Free Zones That Survive Real Life

Zones work better than time limits because they don't require willpower or a timer — the rule lives in the room.

Start with three

• The bedroom: no chargers. Buy a clock and end the debate.
• The dining table: phones face down in a bowl on the counter, not in pockets.
• One chair: a single seat in the house where screens don't go. Put a book beside it.

How to introduce them

Announce nothing. Change your own behaviour first, and add a physical cue — the bowl, the clock, the book. People follow the furniture more reliably than the rules.