Kids and screen time in lockdown

[theatlanticocean]

How is everybody with kids managing screen time?

Last time round the weather was great so they were in and out of the garden, seemed to keep them happier and entertained. This time it’s cold and bitter and darker earlier.

I don’t want my DS (8) sat constantly on screens but wondering how to be realistic about how much time is ok? His mental health has seemed to suffer badly from the pandemic so I don’t want to make things harder for him but know too much screen time isn’t good either.

Just wondering where everyone else is with this? I’m guessing it must be quite a common consideration with everyone being stuck indoors during winter.

I have a DS the same age. He has ASD ("high functioning" if you'll excuse the term) which complicates it a bit as he finds it very hard to know what to do with unstructured time, and all his special interests are screen-based. As long as he goes for a walk with me and completes some tasks first (writing a short story, doing some drawing, a few pages in a workbook just now; school work once that starts) I let him have as much as be wants. Mostly he is building in Minecraft which uses his brain, if he falls into a YouTube hole though I try and redirect him.

Also have an NT 6yo who isn't interested in screens at all really, I don't have any rules or structure about his screen time as he rarely asks for it anyway and when he does is bored within half an hour.

DS is 11 and we're doing whatever gets us through.

I have never managed screen time. Never heard of that till i came here.

Let him be and just make sure he gets fresh air.

Mine can do what they like. Obviously they need a screen for online learning as well and I'm working from home and its icy and dangerous outside to go out in the garden so they will be on it likely or watching tv when not doing work when I am working. Il try get them to do some drawing, painting, jigsaw, reading but doubt itl be successful. When I'm not working we can do things together not on screens but otherwise wel do what it takes to get by.

Perhaps sit down and talk with him about screen use and see what he thinks is a reasonable amount of time to be on it. You might come up with a sensible plan to agree to together.

Personally I think our children don't watch a lot, perhaps 1 hour after-school, but they don't always watch something everyday and sometimes it's only 20 minutes.
Also depends on how much school work he'll have to do each day - it seems to vary hugely from children doing a 'normal' school day to school work only taking a couple of hours.
I'd probably have a limit to 2 hours a day if it was my child. At 8 most of their day will be filled with school work, reading, playing with toys, playing in the garden/going for a walk/going to the local park/going for a bike ride or scooter. Even though the weather isn't great unless it's strong winds/rain we'll plan to get out everyday for a couple of hours.

I have an 8 yr old too and since I need to work there's not much I can do about screen time really.
Last time he had to do a page of his maths book before turning on the tv, then he had to stop at lunchtime and have his lunch and do some reading. Then the tv went off at 5 when I finished work and he had to hang out with me.

He talks to his friends on xbox so that was at least some social interaction.

This time round I'll try to fit in a daily walk before it gets dark and he can maybe have some xbox time in the evening instead.

Same as you OP. We have such dark and dreary weather here and so it's very unlike last lockdown when it was easier to be outside and active. I am worried about the amount of tv and Nintendo my 9 year old and 6 year old have at the moment... (they turn it on as soon as they wake up). However I have a (now remote) full time job (working late most evenings) and can't spend my days entertaining them. I feel as long as we have an hour of a walk/scoot/kick about and one other activity in the day like writing a letter to grandparents/Lego/reading a book then I just leave them to it. Whatever gets us through this in the easiest way ....

I have an only ds his screen time is not managed at all since March. It gets me down tbh however his x box is also where he socialises through the chat function so he has a group of friends on there and if I'm honest without it I think he would be very low as no siblings to entertain etc.

Do what you need to to get through this

I’ve never really made a big thing of ‘managing’ screen time as school/clubs/homework take up so much time in the week then weekends are always busy with days out/visiting people/soft play and that kind of thing. So for most kids screen time is just naturally limited to their spare time. But now obviously all of that is gone. Some interesting replies- whatever gets us through is definitely a good outlook!

Whatever they need. My youngest isn't bothered too much and would rather play with toys, my eldest uses it to contact her friends and play games with them and I think the social interaction is really important at the minute so she's having much more screen time than normal. As long as she's done her schoolwork, her room is tidy and any chores are done she's allowed pretty much to self regulate. She'll do other things when her friends aren't online so I'm ok with this for now.