To want to relax about screen time in the holidays, but not too much?

[IfIonlyhadsomesleep]

I'm not sure where the balance lies. If I just let them gorge themselves on telly and tablets for a couple of days, will they burn out and beg to climb trees? Or should I stick to the nominal rules we have in term time of no telly before school so really no screens for most of the day? My gut feeling is that there is always something better to be doing than anything with a screen, so I struggle because dh can't see a problem with it. Dc are four and seven. Would love to know what you do.

holidays should be relaxing fun.

mix of everything including films, tv, garden, out door activities etc.

don't worry however you with little ones.!! soon as they get to 12 you won't see them for dust.

first it's the local shops/park/ street with friends and that progresses to a train/ bus ride to bigger shops/parks/streets/ costa and pizza places.

sigh!! 😂

Some children self regulate, others don't at all.

Mine were exhausted so we initially had a couple of film days with 3 hours or 4 of tv to recover. Now we are back to normal. A little tv at the end of the day if we have time and they have been good.

The optician at the hospital told me that doing fine work, like focusing on a DS screen or the Wheres Wally books would help to improve my dd's lazy eye.

Honestly I am not trying to sound smug but have you ever tried to just let it go and see what happens?

I have done that, Sparkly, 7yo DS was on the likes of Nitrome 14 hours a day. Didn't stop for meals, did smash the keyboard if I nicely asked him to "get off now". Would have been on there 24/7 if I let him. So no good for us. He's 13 now & has an iPad, he's on that constantly when at home, but youtube is the only thing we truly have to ration on there.

Holiday system we have now is they each get a standard daily quota of TV/computer screens, 5 days a week. Can only access quota after completion of chores (or homework for the grumpy, yes I make them write & calculate!). Having tried lots of other things, this works best.

Yes sparkly I have.

I have tv/wii/ds/tablet time, to suit ME !!
If it suits me, they have them, pre breakfast, or post breakfast, of a bit of 'down time ' during the day. Or just whenever I feel. Whatever we have going on during the day, be it almost a day out, or having a ride on our bikes, or coming home and them saying can we have some tv now.
Whatever suits ME, GOES.

Ok, well my dc are hard work in other ways eg one of them has to have an in depth discussion every single day on why Pepperoni Pizza is not suitable for lunch. The screen time thing has just worked for us for some reason.

It's the same as some adults have no brakes on chocolate states at self in the mirror

Oblomov- I think that is the approach I have unconsciously adopted.

Thing is, I have 2 who can be very moderate about screen time. It's just the other 2 lack moderation.
Like I have 2 who never fought until 3rd one taught them how.
One who is super clever, one who is very Nice but Dim, etc.

Like BackforGood I find being flexible leads to more battles. My dd is 8, and if she gets the slightest hint that something is open for discussion she's like a dog with a bone. And if something has happened differently once I will be constantly having to justify why it can't be like that all the time. I understand that not all children are like that but I'm pretty much sticking to term-time screen time rules as a result. That's 2 hours max and nothing after dinner.
Also, I'm working 3 days a week for the first 4 weeks of the hols which means being up and out to holiday club on a school times routine, so can't afford to let things fall apart completely until I'm off work too!

Think I need to relax a little. Today, dd has painted pebbles, gone for a walk, played with littke figures, played basketball, drawn, gone to the beach and baked a cake . I think that, even though she hasn't read the famous five or knitted a teddy she's probably having a decent childhood! Ds has asked for screens more, but he has also done the basket ball, walk, beach and made a Lego thing. I think all is not lost. Will continue to regulate, but with less of the killjoy grump about me. Very useful to hear different approaches and it makes me realise ds can regulate less well, whereas dd is the walk off and get bored with it type.

I am also struggling with appropriate rules although my older two are older - 10.5 and 12 - and LOVE their iPods. They tend to disappear into their rooms to watch stuff on youtube etc. If you have dc this age, do you limit ipod use?

And does a kindle count as a screen??

Yes I limit I pod use unless just listening to music. Kindles-not of it's a basic reading one, I'd limit a Fire.

My 3 yr old only watches tv when she is ill or tired. Not interested the rest of the time. She will, however, use the iPad for ages playing her phonics and numbers apps. Does this count as 'screen time'? I've never regulated and she seems to prefer to play with her toys/craft stuff.

Never limited my DS - when younger, if he wanted to watch tv till his head fell off, that was ok by me. It would self-limit because he would get bored and want to play something interactive with me and would often alternate between play and tv. If Imfelt he hadn't had enough time away from the house then I would ensure we got out and about.

Never really understood the tv limiting thing to be honest. As long as there's a balance across a week and plenty of other interactivity, tv does no harm. It does not make imbeciles of kids and the only people I hear professing that it does are generally lentil-weaving Grauniad reading colleagues with tedious views on many aspects of life, all spouted with the conviction of the righteous.

My DS would also sit and play Habbo for HOURS. It actually exposed him to the concepts of business development, working for a living, trade and barter, got to know regualr gamers in other coutries (and learnt some Finnish) developed his vocabulary and an appreciation of music.