What time does your 11 yr old (Yr 7) go to bed and rules around electronics?

[Poppysball]

My DS has just started secondary school, Year 7 and we are already in a battle over what time his bedtime should be. Would be interested to know what time others have set for this age please.

Also, rules around electronics. He has xbox, likes youtube and has very recently got a phone. We monitor what he does on the phone and he can’t take it to his room but these electronic devices are what he spends most of his free time doing. I am not as bothered about his bedtime but I don’t want him just doing this for hours every evening.

He does play football and I’m hoping he’ll join some school clubs. I understand they will get homework every night now and to be honest all I can see is battles and stress ahead as he won’t want to do it.

Does anyone have any advice on handling this transition to secondary school, the electronics, and the general increasing independence that he wants and I am struggling a bit to accept! I understand he’s growing up but he is still only 11. Thanks in advance

My Ds has just started year 8. We still have electronics off at 8 but still find he gets messages sometimes till 10.

Some children need more sleep than others . I agree see how he gets up in the morning

Ds has just started year 8. No ‘bedtime’ as such, however he is off screens by 8.30 on a school night (including tv). That means he disappears off to his room at 8.30 and usually reads until 10ish.

Electronics between 7pm and 9pm then shower and they can read or watch tv until 10. but normally fall asleep before then

Bedtime is 2030hrs with half an hours reading allowed, then audio book goes on (except on Scouts night). He has to be up at 0715hrs to be ready for school in time.

We have a 2 half-hour gadget sessions rule during the weekdays, which used to work well but I’m not very good at policing this now he has a mobile phone- he is so often ‘just chatting’ to his friends.

He’s not had any homework yet, but gadget time won’t be allowed until after homework is complete.

I thought about the rule regarding no gadgets upstairs, or at least past bedtime, but we have our phones up there so it’s be mighty hypocritical!

We’ve been thinking about allowing him to have a TV in his room with his Switch for his 12th birthday, I have my reservations (but I think mainly because of how strict my parents were, not due to any ‘valid’ rationale). The main reason we’re thinking about this is since having the baby, who is how big enough to actively play in the lounge, we keep getting a conflict between my older son wanting to play on my partners PlayStation or on his switch (with his little gaming table out, wires everywhere, curtains shut etc), and the baby playing in the lounge. So the telly would help reduce this conflict.

How do people police ‘gadget time’ when it comes to mobile phones? He is always on FaceTime/WhatsApp with his friends (who he can’t always play out with), whilst he’s doing other stuff (ie drawing) but as a result, he often gets distracted and then just ends up on his phone wasting the time away