Turning the wifi off

[No1toldmeaboutit]

We have implemented a new rule in the house where the wifi goes off at 12.30am to 6am and what back lash I have had from my 14 and 12 year old children.

We usually go to bed about 11pm and they are usually still up while they are off school which I don’t mind, however, there has been a few days where they have woken us up through the night at god knows what time when we have to be up for work in the morning. It’s not so much them talking that wakes us up (although that does sometimes) it’s hearing them move about the house because they are still awake, opening and closing doors, flushing toilets, turning lights on, going downstairs etc.

my 14 year old has kicked off about this and is begging for it to be left on telling me all their friend are allowed all night.

AIBU to implement this new rule? I think 12.30am is a late enough WIFI curfew for a 12 and 14 year old whilst they are off school and actually quite generous.

does anyone else have a wifi curfew?

Wi-Fi curfew pointless in my house as they have data on their phones. However we do have a rule that phones charge downstairs. In term time it’s 9pm. They’re 11&14 and o appreciate this is early but the eldest can not get out of bed otherwise, has ASD and can’t regulate herself to switch off so I have to do it for her. Over the holidays o tend to take devices when I head to bed. Between 11pm-midnight. Usually 11 year old is flat out asleep. 14 year old is sometimes asleep but often awake as she has been sleeping on late so the vicious cycle of not getting to sleep earlier starts. They do have access to a TV each in their room though but for some reason this generation of teens and preteens prefer watching teeny tiny screens!! We also have a no flush rule for the toilet if it’s just a wee during the night. My bedroom shares a wall with the bathroom and it wakes me up. No rules on a morning. Youngest wakes early to be honest so she will FaceTime her friends but I’ve told her if I’m in bed and her sister is too then to go downstairs to do this without disturbing us.

Edited to add that my kids are also the first to be told to get off their phones compared to their friends. When their phones etc are downstairs whilst I’m watching tv they long away til at least when o got to bed and even later. This was happening when my kids were in y6 as well. I couldn’t believe it. That’s why we’ve kept the rule about devices coming downstairs overnight. I also worry about fires from chargers on their rooms as they would totally leave the phone charging on the bed or with clothing dumped on it.

Show the little rats this thread! You are being very very reasonable and could be stricter. Stick to your guns on this one!

9.30 for 14 yo and 7pm for 11.5 yo here. We don’t shut down the WiFi, we shut down their tech completely. 11 yo was 8.30 and it wasn’t working. She was still faffing around at 10pm so we brought it forward.

Haven’t changed it for the holidays though they have come and watched films with us (as a last resort) which has been nice.

All kids will tell you EVERYONE is doing all sorts all night. My two are a cranky nightmare to be around given access to late night tech so we are “those parents” now.

More than reasonable, and they're lucky it's on until midnight. If they don't like it then they can find somewhere else with (free) WiFi when they're 18😂

I've got a 12 and 14 year old. Their WiFi cut off times during the holidays is 10 and 10.30. They are still growing and need their sleep. We have family link installed on phones and tablets which automatically locks them at their given times. They only tend to use their laptops for school stuff and they do not have any consoles in their bedroom. They are usually tired by that time as we also have younger children that are up with the lark and our walls are stupidly thin so despite my best efforts at keeping them quiet, the older ones do sometimes get woken up quite early.

You sound like a sensible parent. Remember, you are the parent. They disagree with the new rule. They've presented their case. You've listened, but aren't persuaded to change your mind. So it goes.

Also, so what if all their friends are allowed to stay up online all night? Your house, your rules.

In the 90s, all my friends had TVs in their rooms (or so it seemed). We weren't allowed.

When my children were that age, I had app on all devices to disable at 10pm, and removed all technology from their rooms at night.

Agree

My teenagers had to bring their phone down at 9. 30. In the holidays they had an hour longer. As they got into 6th form phones had to be down by 10.30 but this got eased once lockdown started. They were 17 at this age so decided to trust them. They were warned that if they abused the privilege we would withdraw the new perk. They never abused it and I think if taught them the lesson

there has been a few days where they have woken us up through the night at god knows what time when we have to be up for work in the morning.

That would piss me RIGHT off! You've had lots of advice about the tech issue.
Waking other members of the household up when up during the night is really disrespectful. We're not talking about little kids who wake in the night, or need things, but older ones are perfectly able to go about quietly and not flush the loo for a wee.

I presume when they're asleep you go about the house quietly so as not to disturb them; they should show you the same respect.

This. @No1toldmeaboutit You are being a good parent.
The internet is savagely addictive, I'm on it now, and can attest to the addictive nature of it.
Books...before I had a laptop, I read much more.

You are being extremely fair, Stick with it.

This whole thread is worrying and bonkers.

Kids on their phones on and off all night and expected to function well in their school or holiday days?

I have a 12 and 9yo (boys). There’s a lot of screen time in hols whilst I’m working (and admittedly more than I know is right on my day off whilst I do laundry and shite) but we have no social media. I think this is easier with boys.

Bedroom at 2030, they have their own rooms but generally bunk in with each other on one of them and play ping pong games, fight (often), generally find themselves immersed in something non tech until I lights out at 2200. At which point one or both has often fallen asleep. Last night they found a marble set and played that for an hour.

I’m fricking terrified parenting this age group in the times we are in. Primary school kids are easy. Secondary school kids not so much 😬

Marbles sound so beautifully innocent and oldskool.
A game played since Egyptian times, for thousands of years.
Non tech games are good.

Long may it last.

No phones in bedrooms. No way. You take them to your room.

They can watch telly until 11pm then it’s in bed and time to read.

Your DS sounds dysregulated already. Stop that nonsense.

Tell them every time they have a whinge about it, the curfew will start a quarter hour earlier

My 14 yo goes to bed at 9 on weekdays even in the holidays, lights out by 10 and sleeps till around 10 am. Devices are all left downstairs at 9, no tv's or consoles in the bedroom, only books. They need to be sleeping.

Mine are a similar age. Neither have access to devices past 8:30pm as they need to wind down for an hour or so before bed. They're both in bed before 10pm.

Well done 🙄

Absolutely this - and turn it off at 2100. Gives them time to switch off.

10pm is reasonable and no the kids don't get to dictate the wifi.

What is your 12 year old doing on the internet at that time anyway? Do you supervise at all? It doesn't sound like it from what you describe. I'm really shocked at this post - it's so interesting what you find out under the guise of anonymity. 12 year olds on social media until after midnight, wtf.

I think it should be earlier, say 11pm. And for what it's worth, the sooner they look at banning social media for under 16's the better.

Thanks!

I used to turn it off when I went to bed at 11pm. I would not be leaving it on until 12mn. And in school time it would be off earlier.