OK, I’ll admit it: As a parent, I get tired of saying no. That’s why I gravitate to plans or programs to help kids limit the length of time they spend in the front of the TV or on the computer, rather than the endless nagging: ”You’ve already used your TV time. (And this time I mean it.)” Here are some tricks that kids often find more palatable than a more straightforward “two hours per day” mandate.

1. The poker game - Children start with a number of poker chips at the beginning of the week, with each chip representing one hour (or a half hour) of TV time. They can spend them in a splurge, or  do it one at a time.

2. If this, then that – The Boolean approach to screen time. Time is earned by doing something else. It can be time spent outside: For every hour of active time outdoors, the child earns a half-hour of TV time. A trick some families I know have used successfully–especially over summer vacation–is that kids can’t watch TV until they’ve logged an hour of reading.

3. Appointment TV- Plan TV time around a beloved show, avoiding the pitfall of hunkering down to watch whatever is on…and on…and on. Make a calendar with your child, limiting their viewing to the shows they include on the calendar. Obviously, using a DVR is a variation on this theme.

 4. Time’s up – Use a TV timer (they make them specifically for the kids), the sleep timer on your TV or an hourglass. Let the kids get mad at the timer, not you.

5. Couch potatoes – This one takes discipline. But if you tell your children that they can only watch TV when you are sitting alongside them, I can guarantee that you’ll feel renewed enthusiasm about turning it off. The obvious downside: No more using the TV as a babysitter.

6. Mute it – Require your children to mute all commercials. While this does not necessarily limit the amount of TV time, it does mitigate some of the advertising “damage.” You’ll be hearing less whining on family trips to the grocery or toy store.

7. Tempting choices - Most kids, when offered an appealing choice, will not choose television. Plan one or two activities a day that you know will trump TV. But the key word is plan–this rarely works on the fly. Or buy one of my favorite books, 365 TV-free Activities (or one like it), and make a game of having your kids pick an activity.

8. True confessions – If you’re guilty of too much TV time, make it a family project to cut back. Fess up to the kids and commit to watching less–together.

9. Neighborhood watch- Surely, you’ve heard friends complain about their own kids’ screen time. Behavioral scientests tell us that one of the most compelling ways to prompt action is to communicate that “everyone’s doing it.” Get a group of neighborhood or school families on the same program. Your kids will be more motivated knowing they’re not alone. (And you’ll have a ton of support.)