Screen Time Is Not Forever / El Tiempo de Pantalla No Es Para Siempre - Paperback

by Elizabeth Verdick (Author), Marieka Heinlen (Illustrator)

Help kids build healthy screen habits, stay safe online, and find balance beyond devices.

Screens can help children learn, play, and connect--but too much screen time can interfere with sleep, growth, and real-world relationships. Screen Time Is Not Forever is an engaging English-Spanish bilingual picture book that helps kids understand how to use screens responsibly while making time for offline fun.

Using simple language and relatable examples, this reassuring story teaches children what to do when it's time to turn off a device and how to make smart, safe choices online. Guidance aligns with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, supporting families in setting consistent screen-time limits.

Part of the award-winning Best Behavior(R) series, this book helps children develop social-emotional skills like self-control, decision-making, and respectful behavior.

In this book, children will:

• Learn healthy screen-time habits and digital balance
• Understand basic online safety rules
• Practice turning off devices without conflict
• Explore fun, screen-free activities
• Build lifelong habits rooted in self-awareness

Ideal for parents, caregivers, educators, and counselors, this book supports positive conversations about technology use at home or in the classroom.

Includes a helpful adult section with practical tips and strategies for creating healthy screen-time routines.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Verdick has been writing books since 1997, the year her daughter was born. Her two children are the inspiration for nearly everything she writes. Before becoming an author, Elizabeth edited books for children and parents.

These days she writes books for babies, toddlers, teens, and every age in between. She especially loves creating new board books. The Happy Healthy Baby(R) series is designed to capture the interest of the littlest readers. Elizabeth's Toddler Tools(R) series helps young children and their parents cope with those tough times and transitions that happen every day (like naptime and bedtime). In the Best Behavior(R) series, she helps toddlers reach new milestones and improve their day-to-day behavior.

Elizabeth also enjoys getting the chance to look at the funny side of life in the Laugh and Learn(R) series, which helps kids ages 8-13 get a handle on the social-emotional skills they're developing throughout the elementary and middle school years. She's also coauthor of The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (And Their Parents), which offers kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) their own comprehensive resource for both understanding their condition and finding tools to cope with the challenges they face every day.

Elizabeth lives and writes near St. Paul, Minnesota.

Marieka Heinlen received her BFA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and also studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

She launched her career as an award-winning children's book illustrator with Hands Are Not for Hitting and has illustrated all of the books in the Best Behavior(R) and Toddler Tools(R) series. Marieka focuses her work on books and other materials for children, teens, parents, and teachers.

She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband, son, and daughter.