In Less Than 5 Seconds, This Device Will Completely Change Your Family Dinners

Remember the good old days when kids would burst through the door from playing outside at exactly 6 p.m. to eat family dinner and chat about their day? Yeah, we don't either. And thanks to an overwhelming dependence on WiFi, iPhones, and tablets, squeezing in quality time sans internet connection is only getting harder. Enter Ryfi: a device that lets you control your kids' internet access right from your phone. And boy, is it a foolproof way to get them off their damn iPads for once.

How does this magical little slice of heaven work? The just-for-kids wireless system creates a second WiFi network in the home that lets adults control how long kids will have access to the internet. Parents can set screen-time boundaries for their kids without disrupting their own WiFi or any other connected devices throughout the house that rely on a constant internet connection.

Did you promise them screen time after they finished their homework? Once they're done, you can grant them 30 minutes of video-game time simply using the app on your phone (if you don't have the app, you can also control the time settings or turn the WiFi on and off by texting Ryfi with your device's special number). And here's the real kicker: as soon as that 30-minute period is up, the WiFi automatically shuts off, which means no arguing over "five more minutes" and better time-management skills over time for your mini mes.

Another incredible feature of this sanity-saving gizmo is that it gives you the ability to create a weekly schedule (a great option for working parents), which provides kiddos with set amounts of time daily for gaming or watching their favorite YouTube videos.

The CEO and creator of Ryfi, John Barrera, knows a thing or two about policing how much screen time his children get each day — and how overdoing it can lead to a wide range of problems. "As a father of three, I have witnessed first-hand the ongoing bartering for 'one last game' or 'five more minutes' that children are constantly negotiating for," he told POPSUGAR. "Now with Ryfi, parents have a solution that is easy to set up, and either through text or the Ryfi app, can turn WiFi 'on' or 'off' on command, or by creating a schedule, without disrupting their own connection and network of devices."

Looking to score your own Ryfi? You'll have to hold out until 2018 (though you can back the product on Indiegogo now) — but we think it'll be well worth it.