To wonder how the Hell you limit screen time on this day and age

[ThePassionOfHoneydragon]

Obviously other than the obvious

"You've been on XYZ long enough, do something else"

As long as dcs are not totally sedantry and passive how important is it?

Eg, if you have a strict two hours a day only rule, and their homework on the pc takes 2.5 hours is that it for the day? No tv, no pc, tablet, kindle or whatever it is you might have in the house?

Does a child happily absorbed in say, Percy Jackson, for 3 hours on an ereader/tablet count as reading a book or screen time?

On here and in RL I find some people really unnecessarily snotty and judgemental about other people's children apparently having too much "screen time".

So what is too much for you and what do you class as screen time?

worldgonecrazy online homework at primary is pretty normal, in fact dcs who don't have Internet access at home are requested to attend homework club at school to keep up with their peers.

Dd has needed computer access for homework since not long into juniors. She is in y7 now and needs access most weeks.

She could of course stay at school and do it after school or at lunchtime, or go to a library. But it makes far more sense to me for her to do homework at home.

DS2 has had online Maths homework for the last 3 years I think. He's 12.

DS1 is 14 and regularly emails HW in to teachers and receives results from teachers via school email.

I don't limit screen time other than none after 8pm on school nights. My DCs have always had a tv in their room except when we've been on holiday. They settle fine with or without the tv but at home prefer it on.

They get plenty of exercise and are doing fine at school. They can also take or leave the tv/tablet/iPod/DSi. They seem to see screens part of everyday rather than a treat so don't pester constantly for them.

They play nicely together, as much as a 6, 5 and 3 year old can. In summer they practically live outside and watch tv/DVDs to wind down at bed time.

While it doesn't work for everyone it does for us.

The school doesn't teach IT until after the age of 14 -that's how I know she won't need to do online stuff before then.

Why is that World?

It depends on the child and their age. DS has limited screen time or he'd be on it all day. DD makes her own choices, though does spend a lot of time on screens as she's revising for GCSEs.

I think whether actual IT is taught there will be a need to a computer at primary - lots of maths teachers use my maths or something similar, so not necessarily and IT lesson but certainly done on the PC.

Personally I would think it a massive disadvantage in todays day and age not being taught computer skills till 14.

I'm far to lazy and very strongly of the opinion that petty rules are for school. When you are at home it's your time to do what you like, within reason.

Clearly minimal *HW needs to be done, rooms need to be tidied, washing put away and our big garden needs to be played in, so I'll say that's enough TV, SIMs or YouTube now and again, but no fixed limits.

In any case practically looking over shoulders continually to see if the screen has HW, book or junk on it or pulling off the headphones to see if it's music, audio book, comic pod cast or worthy science is simply not practical, especially as DD1 is very adept at flipping windows on hearing an adult approach.

• I'm not convinced about the merits of all types of HW, especially as I have a dyslexic DD who finds it takes her ages and a younger DD who can do it in 3minutes flat.

My DC re still young - eldest is six, but we have hardly any screen time. We don't have TV except for 'special' watching occasions - a film, or several episodes of a CBeebies show - do that about once a month or less. Because TV isn't part of their daily routine, they don't even think about it and just play/colour/read/etc. instead. We have iPads, but they are for adults - sometimes we show DC something on it, but again very occasional. And I have some games on my iPhone which they can play very occasionally - again probably only every couple of months or so.

That sounds draconian, but it's not at all - it's just not part of the DC's lives. I don't really know where we would fit TV in, to be honest, it would mean taking out something else that they enjoy.

Once they're in bed, DH and I slump in front of the TV, but am hoping we'll get out of this habit now that we're not quite as exhausted as we have been! (3 DC under 4 was tiring....)

I expect things will change as they get older, but will always be wary of TV as 'slumping' time for DC - I hate the fact I do it, and would prefer not to have got into the habit. I never did for the 35 years before DC!

Yes to being at a huge disadvantage not learning IT until 14.My dc had to do internet searches in year 2.Now we have a lovely set of encyclopaedias but they contain a fraction of the info online and much is out of date.

Kids aren't doing enough coding(although this is changing) which takes time to learn.We lag behind others round the world and there will eventually be a huge job market non IT savvy kids won't have access to.

That said I think there is limited need in early years,it does need to be regulated at home and hours on crappy apps,message sites or games aren't needed.

What is the fear over screen time?

I think that's my query. I don't think there is one as such looking at posts on here. It's like it's an invented fear in the sense that most people are aware of what is passive, what's is practical and what is fun. And help their dc realise this.

I think also a lot if it is addictive which many of us recognise particularly those of us on MN far too much- ahem, myself included.My fear is too much time wasted which could have an impact on schooling.

I also have concerns re concentration skills.There have been studies which show it can have an impact.It is early days re research.My dp was also saying the other day that he is sure his spelling has gone downhill and he panics if he doesn't have spellcheck.

She is at a Steiner school - I can assure you the older children have absolutely no problem with IT, and strangely enough, I didn't start learning IT until I was in my 20s and managed to become Microsoft Certified and maintain my user skills, and my boss is an advanced expert at Excel (which requires a similar mindset/way of thinking to coding) and he didn't start IT until he was in his 30s, and my father learned programming in his 50s, so I'm not too worried.

Information Technology is designed to be intuitive and user friendly these days and is extremely easy to pick up the necessary skills, as one Google exec said "it's as simple as using toothpaste and there's no reason kids can't pick it up when they're older". (Sorry for going a bit Off Topic)

Can anyone recommend a good parental timer app for iPhones and pads please?

We don't limit screen time. Ds1 (18) had phases, when younger, of spending too much time playing games but now only uses his laptop/I-phone to Skype his girlfriend or play a game to entertain ds3 (7) when it's his turn to look after him.

Ds3 probably plays too much Minecraft but he doesn't watch much television, perhaps an occasional DVD or an episode of The Hotel Inspector with us. He knows he has to do his homework and music practice first. He has Internet homework every week.

Their free time is their own to do as they like.

What do your 13 and 14 yr olds do when they're not on/using screens or at organised activities?

Mine - nothing much.

Swex - I look at the clock - works well for us :)

We count him down from half an hour.....then twenty....ten....five.....over and out.

Our rules aren't about the screen per se but about computer games.

Mine are 6 and 9 so homework doesn't tend to be heavily computer based but that would be different anyway.

We have computer games only at weekends and then only for an hour at a time. No tv is on in the mornings ever. TV is allowed in the evening after dinner and homework and before bed so this is limited anyway since they go to bed at 7pm. If they watch tv it tends to be for about 45 minutes (longer at the weekends since we might watch a movie).

At the weekend they can play on the wii for up to an hour on each day. That's it. No iPad DS etc.

Mine play outside a lot, they play board games loads, love playing with lego, they read, they ride their bikes. They are completely accepting of the rules because the rules do not change and will not however much they nag.

Someone mentioned about parents being wary of sending their children round to play. I have a friend where I'm afraid I'm like this. She allows her children to play 15 certificate games constantly whenever they are at home and has done since they were five. As a result I'm very reluctant to ever let mine go to play and I have told them they are not to play those games and if it is suggested they are to ask if they can do something else.

I've banned it from Mon-Thurs. Easier. I live in a high rise so activity is difficult anyway. As I type they're on another level with more space practicing their cartwheels.

I don't know, I think I am a bit odd because I don't regulate "screen time", I don't see any need to.

I don't think children always have to be doing something productive or educational or creative. Sometimes it's nice to just sit and watch tv or do something on the iPad or (in my teenagers case) flit about from twitter to Instagram to BBM, to snapchat.

As long as homework is done,bag is ready for tomorrow etc, they go to football/drama at the times they committed to, then I think they can choose what they want to do.

Dd (11.10) is only allowed to do educational stuff on her laptop Mon - Thu, although we don't always agree on what educational means. TV or non-educational laptop time of 30 min at a time must be earned. Weekends free for all. Recently she lost screen privileges for a week and was an altogether more pleasant person. We do find that she gets almost addicted to her screen and has a bad attitude when you ask her to do something else so we're contemplating limiting her time, knowing that it will be a pain in the arse to police. The other reason we want to limit time is because she can keep herself busy in such creative ways when she is not on a screen - origami, Lego, writing, drawing... and we think those things are very important.

I can only speak about my grandchildren :)
The 5 year old and the 7 year old have 30 minutes tv each evening mid week and an occasional dvd at weekends/holidays.
The 7 yr old has an additional 30 minutes on his ds on Saturday and Sunday evening.
The two 10 year olds have an hour a day either tv or computer things unless there is a special film as a treat.
The 13 yr old girl is totally uninterested in screen time. She reads a lot, writes and listens to/ plays music. The two 14 year olds and the 16 year old self regulate as none of them is especially bothered about gaming or social net working.
The one who would do anything for extra time is the 10 yr old boy who has to be very carefully monitored. He is obsessed by Minecraft at the moment.

I don't really limit it at all. DS is 4 and we have the tablet and the tv which he occassionally plays sky games on too.

he asks if he can use them, mucks about for maybe half an hour then moves on to something else
i think i have it easy in that he enjoys these things but prefers running wild so i don't have to fight with him about it.

i also wonder by not having a set limit i am taking away the desirability of it.... like it's there when he wants it so he doesn't feel the desperate need to cling onto it as much as he can?

That was my theory as well runner

My 10 year old has the option of TV, PS3, IPad etc but he doesnt spend the whole day/evening on them, he loves being outside playing, or building lego or drawing or reading.