Screen time and the summer holidays

[expatinspain]

How much screen time on phones/tablets do you let your kids have each day during the holidays? DD is 9, nearly 10, and it's become a bit of a battle. On the days we're busy and doing things it's fine, but on days where we're not doing much she wants to be on it constantly. Today I let her have half an hour this morning, then told her no more use until 6pm. She would stay on it until bedtime if I let her. I'm not sure whether I should just relax on these kind of days or have a set amount of time? Interested to hear what others are doing.

DS2 aged 12 is surgically attached to his phone, like all his friends. He also enjoys Fortnite and FIFA. So far this holiday he has been at the beach with friends nearly every day or out riding his bike.

So,I guess he's getting a good mix. He's in Year 7 and this summer holiday is panning out very differently to previous ones. His independence is growing and I'm having to let go (that's another thread altogether!)

DD age 10 enjoys watching American children's TV series on her iPad but doesn't yet have a phone. That's happening in a few weeks......

I used to be extremely worried about screen time but I'm now thankfully more relaxed. Our children's' generation is growing up with the screen culture, the first generation to do so. Whether we like it not its part of,their (and our) lives and I can't see it changing.

My dd is 4 and enjoys time on her ipad we limit it based on what we've done that day. If we're out it doesn't come with us unless we're travelling a long distance then a movie is a good way to occupy her but it's pulled out for the last half of the journey the rest of the time we're singing and playing games.

She has around an hour a day in term time as we're so busy, in the holidays the rules are relaxed a little.

She's had active out door days at nature reserves, woodlands and parks so far this holidays as well as going to play with friends and swimming. Today we've had lazy day in pj's and she's alternated between her ipad, arts and crafts, Lego and imaginative play all in all she's probably had more screen time today than shes had in the last couple of weeks but she's off to an activity based party this afternoon and is on holiday next week so will spend a week crabbing, Rock pooling and walking. I think everything in moderation is fine and it balances out over the summer.

I think forbidding screen time is impossible.

Mine don't have computer games during the school term weekdays (no time). So just a little TV, half an hour or so a day.

Weekends they sometime have a computer games for an hour or 2 if we don't have much planned.

On the holidays they do sometimes have extended periods. 2-5 hours a day. I break it up so they don't often have longer than an hour or so at once. But they love it and play really well together. Mostly building minecraft worlds together (6 & 8 year olds). I actually think it is very beneficial for their sibling relationship as they get on so well when playing them.

But they also have days when they have zero screen time as we go on days out or away on holiday.

Reading some of the responses on here, l think there is a clear divide between those who have younger children i.e primary and younger and those who have older.

Up until last year l found lot's of ways to entertain my boy's and a our summer holidays were always fun packed. This year it is so much harder. They are too old for parks etc.

So far this summer we have had lunches out, been cinema and l have sledging booked.

If anyone else can come up with suggestions I'd be grateful!

Reading some of the responses on here, l think there is a clear divide between those who have younger children i.e primary and younger and those who have older

Absolutely agree

When I said find an alternative, I don't provide activities 24/7. If they're reluctant to turn off the screens I suggest an alternative, craft, a walk or something.

I agree that some bored time is fab and so good for getting those imaginations working!

Mine are younger primary and older primary.

I don’t have primary age children anymore (youngest is 12), but I don’t really have set rules or limits. If we’re out and about, it limits itself, but in the house I’m happy for screens to be used. It’s currently just me and ds2 in the house, and we’ve had some great chilled evenings watching films or comedies together.
I’ve seen in some families where it’s such a big deal, and the kids are constantly nagging for screens, and it doesn’t seem to make for a happy household.

I agree @ColdTattyWaitingForSummer. As long as other stuff has been done i.e rooms tidy, homework etc then l don't have an issue

I leave my 9 year old to it. She does extra sport , tuition and musical lessons through term time . She doesn’t go on it constantly tho she goes out to play , we have days out and she reads a lot . But she is allowed to choose between 9- 7 .

I have said 90 mins per day on tablet or console and not after tea time, he is 7 and was playing up at bed time, although he is allowed tv for a bit before bed. Seems to work for us.

My two are 5.5 and 8.5.

Term-time they have an hour on their ipads after school. They can watch as much tv as they want but never at mealtimes. They don't have screens in their bedrooms and never have.

I've realised during the holidays it's ok to relax this. I'm a SAHM and we like our chilled days at home (and I like to read books/nap) as much as our action-packed days out. So they can have an hour in the morning between 9am-10am and then an hour or so in the afternoon. Never after 6pm.

They are both big readers, helped I think by using ipads and watching YouTube (5yo almost free reading and can type in the search bar really quickly !). We share actual books every single bedtime for 20mins - half an hour. They see me reading constantly.

I always used to worry they were having too much but I think it depends on the child, what else they do (are they getting enough exercise for example), other activities, how old they are etc. Both of mine are bright and doing well at school.

It's not as simple as one rule for all.

I don't have older children but wouldnt they socialise with friends, begin more adult hobbies and when age 14 or so get jobs?

I remember doing a lot of cooking aged 10+ that replaced a lot of my play time. I would hope my dc take up a hobby like this. Or even if they didn't enjoy cooking as a hobby I think it would be good to have them prepare and cook the evening meal.

Can't get a job at 14yr anymore. DS1 doesn't have any friends to be with. Ds2 socialises via the ps4 with his friends

Really? That is disappointing, I think work is so important for teens. Myself and my siblings all worked from around 14 but that was over 20 years ago so I know things would have changed.

It depends on what the screen time is. An afternoon of CBBC in a cool room on the hottest day of the year is fine, as is reading on the kindle or playing on a reading app. Hours and hours of Fortnite is a definite no. Our relationship with technology has changed since we were children. It's ok to be on a screen as lots as they are doing other stuff, and getting outside. I like those pinterest lists that say you'll get the wifi password once you've done xyz. My own pre-teen years were spent at the library booking out their BBC Micro computer, which also invoved doing the reading challenge and walking there and back every day.

Children can work part time from 13. www.gov.uk/child-employment

During holidays apparently at age 13 and 14 they are allowed to work 25 hours a week www.gov.uk/child-employment/restrictions-on-child-employment

If you can find a business that will take 13yr olds...

@SmartPlay - when you were looking for your 13yr old where did you find? I have looked for volunteering for my 15yr old and most want over 18yr

Good Luck to all of you when they are teens!!!

The way to get them off the screens is to get them out. Mine both have big circles of friends, so this week there have been lots of meet ups and sleepovers.

We've got some family stuff this weekend, then as I'm working from home in the mornings I expect it'll be a screen time bonanza! I'll try to get them out in the afternoon, even if it's just for a milkshake or juice or a bit of holiday shopping.

To complicate matters further DS has GCSEs next year so a (very) small amount of screen time is him revising, so blanket bans become nigh on impossible.

Re jobs my DS coaches kids football and is a trainer ref so refs at kids matches, since age 14.

Not lots in the summer hols though, starts end Aug.

Trained ref nor trainer ref.

This is a really interesting thread to see the differences. I barely limit mine at all because during term time they're busy and out away from screens til 6pm daily so I think an hour or so around tea time before Bath time is fine. Then weekends it's either sports or parties or socialising so we don't mind them having screens in between as downtime. Now we're on holiday so we're in the pool or restaurants or beach so I really don't mind if they are on them in between those times. Gives me time to read a book for the first time in months! I think this is the world we live in so I want them to be screen savvy. I accept though that mine are primary age so I still have absolute control over what they're seeing and neither have phones, just tv, kindles or xbox which isn't Internet enabled so I may rethink once they start hooking up to the outside world.

I decided no more than a quarter of his time on screens. When it was unlimited he'd be averaging 10-12 hours a day which is just too much. So I cut it down to no more than half, thinking that would be enough "non-screen" time to flip his switch into looking for other things sometimes, and it seemed to be at first, but quickly it morphed into him using all of his screen time in a block first thing in the morning and spending the rest of the day flopping around being bored, complaining he has nothing to do, asking me for exceptions, asking me to entertain him, or getting too silly and hyper with his baby brother which would all get my blood pressure rocketing as a combination. So the limit is 3 hours since he gets up at about 9am and goes to bed at 9pm. And the last hour of the day to be screen free. They did a survey in class apparently and he has one of the more generous allowances - glad I cut it down

Mine has ADHD - unsure if that makes a difference, I think so. It seems that he really struggles to occupy himself otherwise which I worry about hence the big change. If you have a child who is seriously obsessed with screens, I don't think limiting their time is enough. You've got to do more - talking about constructive vs passive use of screens (some passive use is alright as downtime or general entertainment, but passively using for 12 hours a day every day is causing harm, IMO) I think they get more out of the constructive use but IME it's not as attractive to them as the passive use, and only occurs once the allotted time is used up. Also getting their interest sparked in some kind of non-screen activity, hobby, interest etc in the hope that they will choose those over and above screen time. Getting them involved in responsibilities like the running of the house or looking after a pet, and also making sure you have time to socially connect with them. (And encouraging screen-free playdates etc). It's easy to let the screen time creep in and take over and hard to push through the arguments and moaning about reducing it which means you can let all of these things slide which is not good.

I don’t restrict screens at all. DS has now learned to self regulate. I’m sure there was a study done that showed screen time was not detrimental anyway and this was very recent.

YY it's so hard to occupy them when they get older. Especially if you don't have £££. He's booked into one week's holiday camp. I'm planning a day trip with some friends. We're going away for a week (maybe 2), have friends visiting for a day or two this coming week. Other than that I've got limited ideas - maybe a zoo trip, museum... We will probably do some cooking and art at home and I may be able to persuade him to get some friends over for bike rides. We have a brilliant wood behind us for bikes, but the kids near us aren't allowed or he doesn't know them, and the kids further afield can't get here with their bikes.