DD is 6, and about to go into year 2. I've been lucky up to now in that she has never been a child who watches endless TV - maybe up to an hour a day, but she's always been able to take it or leave it. She's played the odd game on CBeebies website or my phone, but nothing has held her interest for long.
However, she's recently got into an old playstation 2 that we have lying around unused. She's gone from being mostly uninterested, to spending a couple of hours every day playing on Sonic or Nemo (the only games we have). Whilst the games themselves seem pretty harmless, I can't help but think that this is too much screen time each day, and takes away time from playing, reading, mooching about in hte garden etc. I therefore broached the idea of restricting playing on the computer to 30 mins a day Monday to Friday, and an hour a day at weekends.
Now, judging by her reaction, you'd think I was doing something totally cruel, as she cried at this suggestion. This worried me even more. So, my question is:
What is an acceptable amount of time for a 6/7 year old to spend on computers each day?
Would this craze just burn out if I risked letting her have unrestricted access for a while?
AIBU to think that too much use of these games seems to make kids less able to amuse themselves and seems to lead to worse behaviour? Or am I just hopelessly old-fashioned.
Please enlighten me with how your kids use consoles, and what effects you think they have. Thanks
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AIBU?
AIBU with my expectations regarding time spent on computer games
25 replies
Campaspe · 01/09/2013 16:48
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