Do you have children aged 11-13?

1. How old is your dc? 11 & 9
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Yes - ish
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? More or less absolute

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day
5c) TV per school day
5d) TV per holiday day
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

They have to switch off their screens by 8pm and they are never allowed more than a couple of hours screenwatching at one sitting. So if they flollop around with screens for a couple of hours they get taken out and exercised - to tennis, walking, cycling etc

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? hmm just generally keep an eye out on what she's up to, only has internet access downstairs (very small house)
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? No
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute?

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day
5c) TV per school day
5d) TV per holiday day
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

Are those imposing limits mostly parents of boys (or it's boys who have the limits?)

DD's not big on screens so imposing limits isn't something that occurs to me.

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12 (Yr 7)

2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes

3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? No.

With television/DVD I make it clear that this is not a default activity but an occasional treat, say a few times a week. The only TV/DVD is in the living room so easily monitored. But I will be flexible for special occasions.

Only computer with internet connection in the house is my work/Mumsnet computer, so her time on that is naturally limited
She is allowed unlimited time on non-connected laptop as she has writing difficulties and has ambitions to be a writer.

4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute?

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
Depends on the need (i.e. school project, the weather, my need and her state of health). Not an everyday occurrence unless for school.

5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day

As above, and also depends on weather.

5c) TV per school day

Not everyday activity but would depend on above factors plus importance of programme.

5d) TV per holiday day

As above, plus weather.

5e) Other (please specify) per school day

DS unlimited, but school work clearly has to get done. She limits herself.

5f) Other per holiday day

DS- depends on weather and activity planned.

1. 12 and 14

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Yes
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? Flexible - more screen time on quiet days/poorly days/weekends/holidays

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day - 1 hour for TV and computer combined
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day - no formal limit but loosely monitored - probably max 3 hours total TV/computer time combined - less in summer
5c) TV per school day - see above
5d) TV per holiday day - see above

5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

No Nintendos or Game Boys. No BEBO or Facebook. No Hollyoaks or Skins.

Good grief - must sound awful but really not. It is a fun, happy house and DD seems very jolly. Just plays a lot with DD2 and reads a lot and generally just potters! (Plays violin and piano too but no more than half hour per day combined.)

1. How old is your dc? nearly 13
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? per day
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? very rarely alter them.

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day. SHe gets a 90 mins slot access to internet between 6 and 8 but only if she has finished her homework. We have a setting on our cyber patrol software which monitors this and restricts access.
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day 2 and a half hours.
5c) TV per school day - she doesn't really watch tv but I would probably drag her away after an hour or so.

SHe has a pc in her room but not a TV
5d) TV per holiday day. couple of hours.
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

1. How old is your dc? 11
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? I keep an eye on it
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Not exactly, but I try to limit screens to an hour a day on weekdays
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? Flexible depending on circumstances

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day Normally only used for homework
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day same
5c) TV per school day An hour between school and tea
5d) TV per holiday day Two or three hours if not doing other stuff
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

1. How old is your dc? 13 (Yr 9)
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? No
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? N0
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? N/A

DS is a total computer geek. His spare time is spent rebuilding laptops, making family laptops run faster etc. He runs servers for internet games and earns extra pocket money from friends by sorting out their problems, and downloading TV programmes for them etc!

As long as homework and music practice done, if his nose isn't in a book it is in a screen (but he does do swimming 3 nights a week).

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12 1/2
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? yes, loosely (i.e. making sure it's not to much
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? No
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? if we feel he spends to muhc time on the computer he will be ask to get off it. Usually he goes out a fair bit, so, that limits his time....iykwim

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day
5c) TV per school day
5d) TV per holiday day
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

Thank you for your time.

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 11
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? yes 1/2 hour a day on consoles. 1 hour TV when home from school
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Formal per day
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? Absolute

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day 1/2 hour
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day 1 hour maximum
5c) TV per school day 1 hour
5d) TV per holiday day try to get them out if a nice day a couple of hours tv if they are inside
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

roisin, has he tried more alternative sports rather than the traditional type.
DS is really into kayaking, climbing and shaolin at the moment. Hes never been into football,cricket rugby etc or but he is out most nights now doing something.

1. 11
2. yes
3. no, but I don't let her have unlimited access (easy for us as we share)
4. we are flexible, not unreasonable and try and mix up screen time with other activities so that we have a healthy balance of stuff.

we also have only 1 pc and 1 tv

1. How old is your dc? 13
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? yes -
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? flexible (Flexible as am trying to teach him to self monitor. If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set: 5a) Computer per school day Only if needed for homework 5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day Occasional - allowed to catch up programmes on iplayer, limited gaming in school hols. No PS3 or computer allowed during termtime. One hour per day in long holidays. 5c) TV per school day once h/w/music practice finished 5d) TV per holiday day Selected programmes no staring gormlessly at screen. 5e) Other (please specify) per school day No PS 3/pc games during termtime even at weekends. 5f) Other per holiday day 1 hour ps3

No pcs/tv in bedroom. Only one TV and PC in house so activities are automatically monitored and no-one person can monopolise (Except DH when watching sport .

Same as mimsum we don't have any screens in bedrooms. Also XBox and computer shared between 12 & 13 year olds and their older brother. If they start to argue about sharing nobody gets ago. So they have to compromise (sp?).

1. How old is your dc? 12
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Yes
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? flexible (if needed for homework, for example. Or more one day = less the next)Yes

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day Only if needed for homework
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day Occasional
5c) TV per school day None
5d) TV per holiday day Selected programmes
5e) Other (please specify) per school day No nintendo during term time
5f) Other per holiday day very limited nintendo

1. 12 & 13
2. Yes
3. YEs
4. Sometimes--If all H/W done, not wound me up, they have gone out of their way to help out without being asked......they have cottoned on to this one now!

5a) Yes but only if it's needed for H/W. We check if necessary, and it doesn't happen often.

5b) Friday night, Saturday (after music & sport), & Sunday if they're good.

5c)Schoolday TV, 2 hour max but often none. Will record things they really want for Friday & Saturday nights.

5d)Hols TV, No limit really but often they are out playing sport. Might spend whole day watching a test match!

5e) XBox 360 etc, only weekends. Same as computer. No limit on hand held PSP in car.

5f)Xbox etc., no limit in hols on wet/cold days often have mates round. Other days boot them out of house.

1. How old is your dc? 11
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? yes
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? flexible (if needed for homework, for example. Or more one day = less the next)

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day 30 mins
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day 1 hour
5c) TV per school day only when homework is done
5d) TV per holiday day within reason
5e) Other (please specify) per school day no nintendo before bed
5f) Other per holiday day

just to add he doesn't have pc/laptop/tv in his room - and never will

and he's a swimmer so trains most days (pool/land training) for at least 2 hours so I'm not worried about screen/exercise balance