Worried about DC

[ItsMyIssue]

DC are 8 & 10. They want to spend all their time on screens and it’s affecting family life. We have very reasonable allocated time for school days and weekend/hols. However, once screen time has finished they just say ‘I’m bored’. They seem to have lost the ability to do anything else (except read). They aren’t particularly sporty but have always played with Lego, board games, drawn, crafts etc. We go for a walk every day, play together, bake but nothing engages them for very long. They have bikes and scooters but aren’t interested. I’m really concerned about their apathy.

You will need to instigate something, they won’t do it by themselves. Take time to sit with them and start a board game.
Take a walk and make it a challenge to collect things, like a treasure hunt, leaves, acorns, stones, twigs.
Just a couple of suggestions

It might seem drastic but I would remove the screens completely. For an extended period of time.

Yep got me one of those nearly 9 DS wants to play PS4 online with friends be on my phone or watch YouTube. Everything else is boring with copious amounts of back chat. All ignored and force walks and park visits and gymnastics, swimming lessons and Karate but apparently non of these are actually fun.

We had this at the start of lockdown but they are much better now. One idea we did last holidays was to write lots of ideas on paper, put them in a pot and when they are bored they pick one.

Do a screen detox. After a few days of whingeing and, possibly, tears, you’ll see a huge difference.
During this time, have activities available.

I agree with taking the screens away.
Use them as an incentive or allocate certain times for them.
Things are starting to open up so use this as an opportunity to get out the house as a family.

I could have written this post, my 8 year old has become addicted this year won't do anything else in the house. We're all totally bored of walks, playgrounds and bike rides too so hard to get motivation to make DDS go out.
Am going to wait and see what happens now more is opening to do, hoping it'll naturally reduce due to circumstances if not I think a big intervention and strict times will be needed in advance of summer holidays.

I’ve just set targets daily for my 12 year old to get him back to
His previous lockdown activities. He has to do His homework, has to Do his sport etc etc etc then only then can be game.

It is ok to allow them to experience boredom and figure out their own ways to respond rather than you always trying to provide activities and feeling like "I'm bored" needs you to do something or fix them.

Kids get bored, but kids also whinge about being bored as a way to try and get their first choice activity back. Either way nothing bad happens if you ignore it.

I just take the screens and put them where they can't get them. They're allowed them for a bit after tea. They find stuff to do because they have no choice! Sometimes it's organised activities but, as others have said, it's not good for children to have everything laid on a plate for them.