This simple tool is helping my family set healthier screen habits—and it’s 20% off for Prime Day
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Right now Papaya Reusables is offering 25% SITEWIDE with code USA25! Plus free shipping over $45.
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As my kids officially cross the line from “big kids” into full-on tweenagers, I’m realizing something uncomfortable: it’s not just their screen time I need to manage. It’s mine, too.
I work remotely, so my phone is basically my office. I’m answering emails, managing family logistics, checking the weather, texting the school group chat about field trips. It feels like there’s no “off” switch.
But without any boundaries on my screen time, it’s harder—okay, basically impossible—to ask them to put theirs down. They see me with my face lit up by the glow of a screen 24/7. I’m not proud about it, and I knew I needed a better way to manage screen time and offline time.
Enter: The Phone Box.
What is it?
The Phone Box is exactly what it sounds like—but so much better designed than you’d expect. It’s a premium bamboo box (seriously pretty enough to leave out on the coffee table) with space for up to six phones inside. It has charging holes for cords, so you’re not giving up battery life while you’re giving up the scroll.
Because this isn’t really about locking your phone away. It’s about cueing yourself—and your whole family—to make an intentional choice with your screentime habits.
Related: How screen time affects sleep—and why it matters for your child’s mental health
How I’m using it
I set ours up in the main living space, right where everyone can see it. It’s not hidden in a closet or behind the TV. It’s there, like a challenge and a promise.
When we had a family meeting to talk about important family issues, everyone put their phones in the box. It sounds so simple, but it totally changed the tone. We were actually listening. No one was sneaking a scroll.
I’ve also used it to help me get out the door for an offline walk (yes, it’s possible—ha!). Dropping my phone in the box before heading out somehow made it easier not to reach for it the whole time.
It’s even great for evenings. I love that you can have one in the living room and another in the bedroom (Papaya’s founder suggests this herself). It’s not about punishment—it’s about reconnecting with your partner or kids without that brain-sucking doomscroll before bed.
Features I love
- Premium bamboo wood—actually pretty enough to keep out in the open.
- Holds up to 6 phones—whole-family buy-in.
- Easy-access charging holes—no dead batteries as an excuse.
- Beautiful, minimalist design—feels intentional, not punitive.
It’s simple. It’s analog. It’s one of those things that works precisely because it isn’t complicated.
Related: Parents are calling this app “the only screen time I don’t feel bad about”
The bottom line
If you, like me, are realizing that screen-time battles with tweens are about way more than just setting their limits, this is such a good first step. It’s a cue to choose time together. To make space for conversation, games, planning, or just being in the same room without everyone lost in their separate screens.
The Phone Box isn’t magic—it’s a reminder. But sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
Right now Papaya Reusables is offering 25% SITEWIDE with code USA25! Plus free shipping over $45.
Because if we want our kids to look up from their screens, maybe it starts with us putting ours away first.
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