Screen-free bedtime ideas for shattered parents

By bedtime, most parents are running on fumes. Reaching for a tablet is the easy option, but a screen-free wind-down helps children settle far better, and it does not have to be hard work.

A story read aloud

The classic for good reason. Your voice is more soothing than any app, and it is a few minutes of closeness at the end of a busy day. The only catch is finding a fresh one, which is the problem we set out to solve.

Quiet "what was your favourite bit of today?"

A gentle chat about the day helps children offload little worries before sleep, and you often learn more in the dark than you ever do over dinner.

Soft audio and dim light

Calm music or gentle background sound, with the lights low, gives the room a sleepy feel without a glowing screen.

Why screen-free matters at bedtime

The blue light and fast pace of screens make it harder for children to switch off. A calm, screen-free ending leaves them (and you) more settled. It is the whole reason Tales by Tuck arrives as a story you read aloud, never a screen for them, more on why we are different.