How much screen time is reasonable for 6-8 year olds?

[chaseclay]

Hi everyone!
I’ve got two little ones (6 and 8) who are obsessed with their tablets lately — games, videos, even a bit of learning apps. I try to set limits, but it’s getting harder to manage especially on weekends.
How much screen time do you allow for kids around this age? Do you use any apps or rules that actually work without causing meltdowns? Would love to hear what works (or doesn’t!) in your homes.

We did a max of 45/50 mins at that age. The Parental control and digital wellbeing software | Qustodio app is great because you can remotely control the devices to shut off access to apps after the allowed time period. I found it caused less fights than me telling them to turn them off and put them away.

in the week after school while I’m making dinner I limit it to 15/20 mins. At the weekends and half terms I honestly don’t have a clue. Not a lot but definitely more than they should. They usually go on it while I shower and get ready for the day then maybe half hour later in the morning and afternoon

Maximum 30 minutes of one of the less annoying children's TV programmes. I definitely wouldn't have given them tablets though. That's a recipe for meltdowns, no matter the rules you have around them.

iPad has a screen time lock on it so it shuts off after an hour. We have no screens before 5 on weekdays but no particular weekend rules with regards to tv (iPad time limit still applies)- we are usually busy enough that I think DD is fine to wind down with a couple of hours of cartoons on a Sunday morning (much as I did as a child!)

We've had a two hours max limit for TV for a while now, and it works well. She (DD8) can choose to have it all in one go or split it up. She never gets it all on school days (not enough time!) We monitor what she watches and she has to check before starting something new. BBC, Netflix and Amazon. She doesn't have any access at all to other screens - tablet or phone - only the family TV. I know it's really hard but I would cut out the tablets completely. They're so compelling.

An hour or two? It evens out as they may do more someday as like holidays or weekends and some nothing at all

2 hours a week on tablets.

TV in more relaxed with but usually before breakfast during holidays and then one hour later in day.

At that age it was only the TV. They were transitioning from CBeebies to CBBC. It was only on after school from 4pm until dinner if requested.

When your now 8 year old was 6 did they have a tablet?

And do you really know exactly how much time they are spending on them?

We have two boys 7 and 5. They have kindle fires and it’s set up to only come on at weekends once their 2 hours is up, it’s up!

Pretty much zero but I would watch a bit of TV with them

About an hour a day for ours. TV or switch time. Sometimes it's zero, and a wet day in winter it can be 2.

On MN you will only get people replying whose kids have barely any time on technology at all.

I have a 6 and 8 year old. Mine have 1 hour per day on their tablets. It’s mainly used from 6:30am when they wake up and I’m still in bed!

We have very strict controls on what can be watched on them so it’s mainly bbc iPlayer or one particular football YouTube channel I allow.

Zero. There is no need.
At that age, supper at 17:00, possibly a 30 minute child-relevant video, while you clear up, bath at 18:00 followed by stories and off to sleep at 19:00.

I feel your pain OP.

I’m naturally very anti all the techy stuff, but my DS (6) LOVES it! So I am trying to show more interest.

On a school day, he gets 1 hour max of TV/PS4/tablet, he can decide which & if 1 or more, but then it’s off. I insist on him having free play/outdoor time until 4.30 first, which TBH is fair easier in warmer weather as we can just go to the park straight from school. He does know the times and stop very well when reminded, no conflict luckily. I’ve always been firm that if there was any defiance about stopping he would lose his time the next day.

Weekends/school hols I generally find it easier to be out of the house. I do find that when the TV is switched off altogether he plays better, eg with Lego or with his sister (although of course that can lead to bickering 😂). So the TV only goes on at set times at the weekend, but it is more if it’s worse weather/we have less plans, etc.

As someone who has always preferred them to be reading/playing outside/doing puzzles/building/colouring/basically anything else, I find it hard that asks for screens seem to be choice 1 🥲

We limit it at 24 hr hours a day. No more.

I wouldn’t mind them having around two hours of TV on a weekend day and an hour or so on a weekday. I really don’t like interactive screens like tablets for kids that young though.

Kids the same age. On an average day, zero.

Some on weekends, depending on what we’re doing.

Their behaviour still deteriorates after about half an hour on screens. If I leave them on for an hour or more, I know I’ll pay for it in meltdowns when I ask them to come off.