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Do you let your kids keep their phones with them overnight?

28 replies

Afternooninthepark · 03/05/2020 11:03

Ds is 14 and dd 12.
Up until recently I have always taken their phones and iPads down to the kitchen overnight even though ds has protested.
However, since the lockdown and lack of school I have seriously let things slip including bedtimes and have been letting them keep their phones overnight (Although I make them switch them off at bedtime). I am pretty confident that dd sleeps through the night but ds has let slip that a couple of times he has woken around 3am as he couldn’t sleep and watches Friday Night Dinner, then of course he can’t get up in the morning.
I seriously need to get us all back into some kind of routine and have told them today that things will go back to normal and I will take their devices away at nighttime as before.
Ds is really unhappy saying he is the only one of his age and all his mates keep their phones with them.
Do you take your early teens phones or let them keep them overnight?

OP posts:
Myownwendyhouse · 03/05/2020 17:14

My son is 16. So what does with it is his business. I always keep mine by my bed as I listen to audio books at night to help me get to sleep as the sound helps blockout the tinnitus in my ears.

Candyflosscookie · 03/05/2020 18:46

DC 13/14 phone's collected by me on my way to bed at night. Earlier during the week, a bit later on Fri/Sat. Have kept to this routine.

Various friends found if phones were left downstairs, DC would simply wait until parents were asleep then go downstairs and be on their phones for ages. So I have DC's in our room to avoid this possible temptation.

If I forget to put on silent, phones can be pinging with snapchat etc at 2/3/4 am so several of same age friends are obviously allowed phones and use them very late/early. This isn't good for my dc as hellish if not enough sleep. Even when sleeping later at the moment as no need to be up for school. Wakes up 10-11am usually.

Hellvelyn · 03/05/2020 19:43

@Sparlingbrrok. Once DS reaches 18 I will encourage him to charge the phone downstairs. He is much more easy going than dd, so I suspect he will. Once they are off to uni/jobs they can do as they wish when they're at home. I am a pastoral and safeguarding lead in a high school which I think makes me more wary. I have seen the most sensible children get caught up in all sorts of nonsense. Quite often the worst seems to happen at night. I also seen sleep deprived kids whose parents have no idea they are checking their phones at 3am! FOMO seems to apply at night too! I'm as sure as I can be that DS and dd wouldn't use their phones at night but if its not there then they can't. Interestingly, dd has told me (when she's finished complaining) that she is able to use me as an "excuse" for not being in contact late at night. Blaming meanie mum takes the pressure off her I think.

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