Gaming and children

[Tulipsemerging]

My children like many others like 'gaming' either phone or xbox. I tend to like an activity of some sort (walk, park, football, trampolines etc) each day and then a couple of hours or even up to 4 hours of gaming.

Apparently, I'm unreasonable and everyone else spends the entire weekend on an xbox. Obviously extremes. Some children do and some don't. On checking online there are children on there all day, and most evenings.

So AIBU - is it the way for children now, just let them get on with it

YANBU - no I'm just seeing the extremes and a couple of hours a day or 3 or 4 at weekends is ok

Help with managing this. I'm struggling.

If that's your rule then that's your rule. They certainly won't suffer for it. We allow longer but he's an only and we're a tech kinda family. But I would say stick to your guns. Oh also he doesn't get dis regulated by playing stuff / will happily disengage when asked. If he didn't I would be much stricter with screen allowances.

I'm just wondering about general comparisons really. I'm happy with an activity and some gaming. Just wondering what others feel is reasonable.

Good points.

My youngest does get dysregulated when asked to come off. It feels like a drug and he struggles to disengage.

Long as mine have tidy rooms, do what's needed and get a hour or so of excerising I don't mind screens.

However I have one son who has a learning disability and it helps regulate him. So I'd be a hypocrite to stop my youngest.

Depends on ages and what games they are playing.
Both DH and I grew up gaming too much a lot but from 14yo onward, and had LAN parties which were much more sociable than online gaming.

I’ll be much stricter with my children as I know all the dangers.

I try to stop them having too much screen time. They have have so many games, toys and mountains of lego that they don't touch and it annoys me. I also find if they spend too much time on screens they don't sleep well.

Left to it, they would stare at YouTube or play on the playstation from when they get up until bedtime. I don't leave them to it though, and they are very good at switching off when asked then coming to help me with something or join in a game or some outside time.

It's almost like they forget there is anything other than the game, but when I remind them they are happy to go and enjoy the rest of the world!

How old are they OP?

We do screens after lunch for a few hrs. Mornings are for going out and being active /doing something. I don’t allow YouTube as my son turned into an utter pain in the arse when watching it. I don’t know if the balance is right but it more or less works for us. My son is only allowed his switch on the weekend and tablet (for watching Netflix etc) on Friday after school and the weekends.

They have a couple of hours a day and a bit more at weekends if weather is bad, otherwise we get out and about. They are 12 and 14 but friends of theirs appear to be online all day