KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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A new phone policy in the Shawnee Mission School District is doing more than just keeping classrooms distraction-free; it’s helping families take a closer look at how technology fits into daily life.
For many parents, managing phones and screen time can feel like a guessing game. What works for one child or family might not work for another, and that’s exactly the message Melissa Amos-Eyberg is trying to spread at Mill Creek Elementary.
As the school librarian, she teaches digital citizenship to help students understand their digital footprint and online safety. Her lessons echo the message from a local organization called Screen Sanity, which provides resources and guidance for parents navigating technology with their kids.
“We need to prepare them now," Amos-Eyberg said. "We need to teach them that their digital footprint — everything they post, everything they take pictures of, everything they do online — will affect their future. We need to instill that and just get that in their brains now.”
After attending a Screen Sanity presentation at her own child’s school, Amos-Eyberg realized how important it is for parents to model the same habits they want to see in their children, whether that means no phones at the dinner table or designating one day a week as screen-free.
“We have to be open with our kids about every piece of technology,” Amos-Eyberg said. “We don't know everything, and we're learning with them. We don’t have a ton of examples ahead of us to go off of, so we’re doing our best. And we’re just doing it because we want to be safe, we want them to be safe.”
Tuesday night, Mill Creek Elementary will host a Screen Sanity Parent Night, inviting parents to explore their own digital habits. One activity even asks parents to reflect on what “time well spent” looks like and how much of their phone use they’d actually want their kids to mimic.
The Shawnee Mission School District’s new phone policy is already reinforcing these ideas:
- In elementary schools, phones stay out of sight all day.
- In middle schools, phones must be stored in lockers and can only be accessed between classes.
- In high schools, phones can be used during lunch and passing periods, but must be silenced and stored during class.
Amos-Eyberg said while phones aren’t a major issue for her youngest students, it’s never too early to start teaching good habits. And for parents, that starts with self-awareness.
“Set the example at home,” she said. “Just be the example you want for them.”
Screen Sanity parent nights are available to anyone; you can set one up here. The nonprofit has hosted more than 100 parent nights so far this year.
