Net Nanny?

[BooseysMom]

Not sure where to post this. We really need to find a way of cutting down the time our DS spends on the phone and tablet. If we let him he'll easily spend 2 hours at a time on these devices and he's only six. Does anyone use a net nanny/minder app which can filter out certain websites and also automatically cut out after so long? We only let him go on YT Kids now after we found he kept finding unsuitable videos on normal YouTube.
Thanks in advance

Simply just say he's only allowed x amount of time. Then once that time is up he gives the tablet to you. He's 6 and you're the parent! Sorry if that sounds harsh.

Same as PP really.

Also, can't you partition the tablet into kids side and adult side? We can on our Google tablets (Lenovo and Huawei/

Bloated1977.. thanks for your reply. Yes he tends to get away with too much time on there! He's my only and i think that doesn't help.

@Kelsoooo.. thank you..i'll ask DH to do it!

In my experience, the best way is to remove screens during the week and only allow during weekend.
The problem with screens is that they completely annihilate the pleasure you get from other activities, so once you say to turn it off, you will get a bored child who complains no stop and that will not enjoy a book.

It is also a creativity killer.

There are so many books and medical literature on the damages to brain development and social skills caused by screens that I would remove the tablets and only allow some TV during week.

A tv shows has a specific start time and once the episode is finished, tv is turned off, it won't send you to another video , than another and so on. There is no end on a tablet. Ideally you would sit with him and watch the show together .

At that age it was just on long car journeys or if I had an appointment and had to take the kids too. I found that creative games held their attention longer than tv.

We use OurPact on our kids devices.

He is 6. You don’t need an app, you need to step in

Thanks everyone..your advice is much appreciated.

The harmful effect of too much screen time really worries me, not just in terms of stifling creativity but apparently the radiation these devices emit. There's so much we don't yet know about these things. I do tend to sit with him and watch things on there but it's so addictive to him. I need to def step in and remove it during the week. Thanks all x