How much screen time for an 11 year old?

[Bluedoor11]

Pretty sure this has been asked before but can’t find the chats.
We’ve recently decided to be more strict with screen time for our DS11. We’ve told him he can only use screens for 1 hour and a half during the week (half an hour in the morning when he is getting ready and an hour after school/activities), and 2 hours and a half on Saturday and Sunday. This includes all screens, even phone, but family movies are excluded. He’s been pretty good and actually sometimes he doesn’t even use the full allowance, but the other day he said we are way too strict. Of course he would say that 🙄 but would be good to see what other parents think please!

I think you are doing the right thing. I saw this the other day which explains how damaging it all is to dopamine levels, and how it makes it difficult to work/concentrate.

vm.tiktok.com/ZNd1Ppkoo/

Thanks that’s nice to hear. It’s so tricky as all kids are at it, so it makes me question myself!

I think its quite a lot.

We don't allow any at all monday-fri

Our 10 year old has none - neither do the other two but they are younger. He is allowed to use DH or my ipad with one of us eg for researching his homework. That's it.

I never had any restrictions for my kids, because I never felt it was needed. They were good at managing their time for study etc

I think it's fine as long as using screens for homework is excluded

My 11 year old gets 30 minutes after school Monday - Thursday, 60 minutes on a Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays he has one hour when he gets up and potentially another hour after lunch. He usually spends his time playing on his switch or watching YouTube videos of people playing minecraft

We might do family movies one evening a week and on a Sunday. We also watch some stuff as a family on Saturday nights, Gladiators etc

No phone yet but when he gets one he will literally be able to use it for calls and messages, no social media or Internet and it won't be going upstairs at bedtime

Urgh… maybe I should reduce it more! To be honest during the week is usually fine as too busy with homework, sports, piano etc. Weekends are trickier as he doesn’t have brothers or sisters to play with, and we can’t play with him all the time (he loves board games but he needs people for that!) He’s been pretty good about it so far though, he just moans a bit every now and then

Does this include TV?

Oh, and he doesn’t have any social media, the phone is for calls, messages and the odd game

My limits do include TV, not sure about the other poster!

Depends on what he’s doing otherwise and how he is- DS is sporty (plays a team sport 3 times a week and does a martial art twice a week plus swimming once a week). He also plays a musical instrument so practices daily and attends weekly band rehearsals. He reads before bed and does his homework.
On screens he might be playing whilst talking to friends online as they play- why is that any different from having a friend round and playing a board game? On VR he might be playing with a friend in real time whilst in separate houses… again- sociable. He might watch YouTube videos on a hobby or interest like we’d have read books or encyclopaedias in the past… he knows so much about so many things and had his time online been limited he’d never have learnt this or had access to so much information.
He sometimes needs reminded to put his phone down until he is ready for school- or at bedtime reminder to leave it charging downstairs so he isn’t perfect, but on the whole he is a well rounded and intelligent lad. So I don’t limit his screen time.

Yes very similar here. My DS also plays sports, plays the piano and loves practicing for fun, reads a lot, and loves playing board games with us. He’s got lovely friends and is doing very well in school. I just hear so many awful things about screen usage that felt we needed clear rules. Maybe I was overthinking it.

Lots more than your DS but it’s his main way of socialising with friends. Mine also reads, cooks, plays board games, hangs out with us and can hold a full conversation. Doing well at school. I’m not worried

My 10 yo has 20mins per day Mon-Thu, then 1h 30m Fri-Sun.

No Youtube at all since we found he was starting to get to some dodgy content. (That doesn’t include a family movie, which we might have one per weekend).

He will just go to the screen to be entertained rather than picking up another activity, so I do feel like it’s important to have limits.

Mine (10 and 11) don't have access to screens before school in the morning. What is he doing online before school?

After finishing their homework they get 30 minutes and on weekends even up to 1-2 hours, depending on the weather and other family-activities.

Many kids at that age spend hours on their phones. I can’t stand those things!
IMHO, you are not strict at all. In fact, your son has a lot of freedom, and that’s something he could really appreciate!

My eldest is 10, no screens before school here so after school it’s a maximum of 1 hour TV. He has sports clubs or swimming lessons every week day anyway. Mid week he might get a bit of time on video games (30-45 minutes) on one day as his swimming lesson is later. Weekend mornings he has an hour of TV first thing (still an early riser) before sports clubs, then it’s only an hour or two max of video games in a weekend evening, we watch things like Gladiators, Michael McinTyre, movies as a family.

He loves reading and does loads of sports (ADHD and DCD so it’s key!) so I don’t think I’m too lenient, most in his class get way more.

Does this include TV?

The childminder lets them watch some tv twice a week at hers (I'd rather she didn't but i have no other childcare option that meets need). On at home days they have music lessons one of the days, we do cooking and homework another day & are out at dance class the third day. The one who isn't in the dance class usually plays cards with another waiting sibling.

So no screens at all really on 3 days.

I think it sounds good to me. I’m a secondary teacher and parent to younger children who have about 30 minutes before school and often none after and around 1 hour a day at the weekend plus a family programme or film.

However, judging by what my students tell me what the mums on here are saying is not the norm. Most seem to have unlimited screen time which explains their poor concentration, tiredness etc.

I don't restrict TV for DS at all. If he's not got a sports club after school he is allowed to chill out in front of the TV all evening if he wants to (y6 so no proper homework). Only restriction is there isn't one in his room so obviously once he goes upstairs at 7pm ish he's not watching it.

He doesn't generally get his game console in the week. He does sport Saturday morning so he is allowed it all Saturday pm if no other plans. Usually has it for a couple of hours on a Sunday as well. He is a really good kid, and literally the ONLY time he's poorly behaved is when he gets frustrated playing games. So that's why we don't allow it in the week...if this didn't happen I'd be more lenient...and this is why I treat it differently from TV.

He's just got a phone but isn't that interested and no social media so havent had an issues as yet. He likes games on his phone so it'll probably be a choice of phone or console at the weekend...but for same time in total.

He’s not online as such before school, he just watches a bit of TV while he’s waking up. He hates rushing in the morning so prefers to get up a bit earlier, chill, and then get everything ready. I’m not too worried about that, I’m a slow riser too! And we only have one tv in the house in the lounge, so we always know what he’s watching. If he watches YouTube he’s only allowed to watch it on the tv so we are around and can monitor. He’s not allowed screens in his room (phones, tv, laptops etc) unless it’s for homework.
It doesn’t sound so bad when I write it down! 😅 as I said, he’s really good and doesn’t generally complain. I just don’t want to push it too far the other way so he starts rebelling, if you see what I mean.