How we got our kids to put down the screen, without a single argument

By Emma · Mother of two · 22 August 2026 · 5 min read

I promised myself I would never become one of those parents who nags about screen time. Then I had kids who discovered Roblox and YouTube, and suddenly I was that parent. Every day. At every dinner.

Does that sound familiar? You're not alone. And it turns out it isn't just a feeling we parents have — the numbers are actually worse than I thought.

The numbers that made me take action

I started digging into the research one evening after a particularly stubborn screen-time battle, and what I found in the Pep report, one of the largest studies of children's health in the Nordic region, honestly made me feel a little sick:

The health authorities recommend an average of 60 minutes of heart-pumping activity a day. Our kids were landing at maybe 60 minutes a week. The rest was screen time.

And here's what I've realized: you can't nag a screen away. The screen is more fun than the nagging, every time. The only thing that works is offering something that's more fun than the screen.

How we found the solution (by chance)

It was my sister who tipped us off. Her kids had stopped arguing over the tablet after they put up a, I quote, "boxing thing with lights" on the wall in the hallway. I was skeptical. We have a box at home full of "activity gadgets" that were used for a week.

But the video she sent made me order one that same evening: her two kids were standing in LINE in the hallway. To get a workout.

It's called Boxing Hit Game Machine and it's simpler than it sounds: a panel mounted on the wall with six striking surfaces that light up in different patterns. The kids connect their own music via Bluetooth, the lights flash in time, and the goal is to hit the right panel in time. The score is shown on a display.

So it's a game. But unlike the games on a tablet, you stand up, move your whole body, and work up a real sweat.

What happened in our house

First evening: both kids played until we had to tell them to stop so the neighbors below could sleep. (Ironically, the neighbors couldn't hear a thing; the striking surfaces are cushioned. It was the laughter that carried.)

After three months, our everyday life looks like this:

• The kids line up at the wall voluntarily after school; no one has to say a word
• The family leaderboard hangs on the fridge; the loser clears the table
• The siblings compete WITH each other instead of arguing over the tablet
• The speed can be adjusted so the eight-year-old and the twelve-year-old can play at their own levels
• My husband and I do our own rounds after bedtime; better than we'd like to admit

Is screen time zero now? No, of course not. But that hour a day the health authorities talk about? We reach that now without me having to open my mouth. It's the points that do the nagging for me.

For those of you who want to try it

Boxing gloves are included in the package, setup took maybe ten minutes, and it works from about age six and up (adults included, trust me). Right now Gymfit also has an offer that makes it cheaper than a couple of months of a streaming subscription:

Offer right now

Boxing Hit Game Machine

1 299 kr 699 kr Save 600 kr

Gloves included 30-day guarantee Free shipping over 699 kr

See the offer here →

If it doesn't become a hit in your home, you have a 30-day guarantee, so the risk is zero. But I suspect that, just like us, you'll wonder why you didn't put one up sooner.

Emma, 38

Mother of two, coffee addict, and blog founder. წერს about family life, everyday chaos, and things that actually work. This post contains affiliate links.