Do you think this screen time schedule is okay for a 7 year old?

[foreveryoungjustkidding]

Me and my ex are trying to come up with a screen time (phone) schedule for daughter. We have been fairly relaxed about screen time but now realise she's spending far too much time on her phone and would sit on it all day if we would let her.

We have come up with this schedule -

Monday - 6 - 6.45

Tuesday - 5.15 - 6 (due to after school activities)

Wednesday - 6 - 6.45

Thursday - 6 - 6.45

Friday - bit more relaxed/depends what plans are etc

Saturday - 2 - 2.30 (can be flexible depending on what she’s doing but 30 minutes in afternoon) and 1.5 hours at night

Sunday - 2 - 2.30 (can be flexible depending on what she’s doing but 30 minutes in afternoon) and 6 - 6.45.

Does this seem too strict? Too relaxed? Too much screen time still?

Thanks.

Should add she does do a lot of activities -

Tuesday - 2 x 1 hour classes of two different hobbies

Friday - 1 hour class

Saturday morning - 30 minute class.

She is also out and about a lot, playing with her cousin, having days out with me or her dad etc. It's just whenever she is in the house she wants to be on her phone.

Well personally I think it's a bit strict, but I'm in the same position as you, trying to pull it back since lockdown. DS 8 would be on it all day every day if he could! So I use it for when it benefits me ( as a single parent), so Saturday mornings so I get a lie in, and weekday evenings while I'm cooking dinner.

Good luck!

Your 7 year old has her own phone??

Mine wouldn't be on a phone at all at that age.

I'm a bit of a dinosaur and mine only have CBeebies / CBBC for an hour or so a day. More at the weekends.

Its not the time per se but what she is watching or doing.

7 is very very young to have a phone. The average is 11 just before secondary school.

So what is she doing on the phone? Would be better to let her watch TV on a TV screen rather than a very small blue light screen

@Notcontent nope, she used mine.

*uses

I'd keep it short, and also stop completely at least 2 hours before bed, I screen time at all, get them in the sleep mode

@Dishwashersaurous kidtube/Roblox/other games

so she using an adult phone, without child controls.

I definitely wouldn't let a 7 year old use a phone at all

At 7 she would only be playing on a phone for a few hours at weekends. No need for her to be using it every day at such a young age.

I would probably not allow it everyday. In the week keep it to a couple of nights with it more relaxed at the weekend.

@Dishwashersaurous see can't win because had I said she had her own phone I would have gotten, 'so you've bought your 7 year old daughter her own phone? Ridiculous' 😂

She goes on kid tube - Roblox and a few other games which are monitored, there is nothing on my phone that shouldn't be.

7 year olds do not need phones. Take it away (as well as tablets) and she can have it back at 11/12, with limits and parental controls.

Your DD deserves a childhood. And she certainly should not have any phone time in an evening as it massively affects sleep and concentration.

No screen time here when DS was 7...... I'm into tech but I wouldn't let him have screen time on a phone at that age. No need at all.

Personally I'd put a stop to it.

What other people do is up to them, not my business, but you asked.

I think it's bad for them to get into the habit of it being their 'default' activity and preferring it to actually doing something. It's already happening to your DD. They soon start to see playing with friends or doing clubs as boring by comparison & start wanting to drop other activities.

It seems harmless & controllable at 7, but it doesn't stay that way (no matter how much you think it will).

Take the hard road now & thank yourself later.

My 7 yr old has his own tablet so I can set controlled time.
He can have 1.5hrs per weekday evening and upto 4hours on a weekend days day. a day - he alos has limits as to how early it is on, and it switches off at 630 - so at least an hour before bed.
He also has restrictions on certain games, kids YouTube etc. Within that.

Oh God op, the assumptions from other posters, Christ.

Is 45 mins enough, is it likely to cut the last 15 mins of her programme/cartoon and cause a problem?

Whatever you decide on, my advice is to stick to it.

7 year old shouldn't have on a phone. Whether yours or their own.

The screen is too small and the risk of them access something they shouldn't.

But if you are ok with it then I would definitely not have it as an everyday treat, but weekends only

My 7 year old has access to an ipad used for kids YouTube, minecraft and a few other games and homework. 2 hour daily limit. Sometimes reaches limit, sometimes not.

Oh also no access 7pm-6am

Honestly this is ridiculous.

Given half the comments on here my child is doomed forever for watching some cartoons on a phone

@raspberryjamlove I know, we're obviously terrible parents!

Only on Mumsnet 🙄

Is your child Y2 or Y3? A phone is the same as a tablet. My youngest has one without a SIM card. Do whatever works for you, but in my opinion you are being a little too restrictive.