BATON ROUGE — With phones, tablets and computers, it may seem impossible to pull your children away from their screens.

But doctors say it is important to set limits, especially during the school year.

“Two hours of recreational screen time is what we like to aim for. That is more realistic in some households than others, but we really try to at least set some kind of limits beforehand,” pediatrician Gina Robinson said.

Although keeping screen time to two hours or less a day can be a challenge, experts say consistency is key. It is best to have set rules in place before kids get on their devices, so you don't wind up unexpectedly stopping them in the middle of a TV show or video game.

If you have been more relaxed with screen time over the summer, it's a good idea to make it clear that things are different during the school year. You may also want to make any screen time a family activity.

"Making it special so that if you watch movies together on Friday nights, and that's how you use your screen time and you maybe go outside and set up a projector screen or you get popcorn or you do something just to make it a little bit more special and a little bit more of a family activity,” Robinson said.

Parents are encouraged to lead by example by taking breaks from their devices if they want their kids to do so as well.