7 Year Old - iPad obsession

[mumsrthebest]

Hi All,
I have a 7 year old son and 11 year old daughter which unsurprisingly are both very different. My concern is my son who absolutely loves technology … especially the iPad. We have set screen time restrictions now on iPad use because we noticed a change in his mood after he had been using it. He uses it about 1 hour a day Monday - Thursday and 2 hours a day on a Friday, Saturday & Sunday. He has started a football club once a week and we often go out so he is socialising with others. (Not just stuck in house all day).
My concern is when he is not on the iPad he’s either talking about the games he plays, acting out the games in his imaginary play or drawing about them!! Or if he’s not on iPad he wants to watch YouTube on the TV which we’ve allowed him to as long as it has no relevance to gaming. He likes to watch Hobby Kids and Ninja Kids. I just wondered if this type of behaviour is common?

It does sound on the side of being an obsession. I think I would try and encourage more activities, football once a week isn't a lot for a 7 year old boy. Does he have swimming lessons and could you look at him joining something like Beavers or an after school club?

It doesn't sound much different to a child sharing an interest in a TV show, acting out the show with their toys or in role play. Think back to your own childhood and children playing Power Rangers / pokemon / teenage mutant ninja turtles.

I do find the summer a great time to have a family screen detox as the screens aren't being used for homework etc you'll have a few rough days but after that they get used to doing other things then you can reintroduce them in September or as the weather changes.

We are going to book him piano lessons.
I know what you mean I watched hours of TV as a child and it was never an issue. It’s just the change in mood I worry about.
Do you think I should ban iPad completely?
I have banned him for 3 days before as a consequence for bad behaviour.

@mumsrthebest I wouldnt 'ban' him that word has negative connotations. I would lead by example and say that now it's the summer and the weather is nicer as a family you are going to stop using screens.

You don't need to fill his time with paid for activities but may need to timetable in family activities and give him ideas of what to do so that he learns how to entertain himself.

Get outside as much as you can, structure after school time a little bit more with routine:
a trip to the library weekly to pick up books (even if you have lots at home),
keep cardboard boxes and learn how to make automatons - instructions from very simple to very complex are available on line/ or get a book and generally you just need cardboard, scissors and skewers/dowels,
Get him his own childfriendly tool kit (forest school/ bushcraft websites sell them) and bench and some wood and make things, bird boxes etc are easy
After school take dinner out with you and have a picnic, take a ball, Frisbee etc.
Have a bag ready that's prepped to grab and go.
But the key to this not being a punishment is that you all need to buy in to it if he sees you, DH, Dsis on screens then its unfair, if he is gaining independence, family time and skills he'll enjoy it.

Basically give him a 90's summer!

Do you mean for example he draws and plays Minecraft? This is the age where they’re starting, as long as he’s not playing for longer than the hour I wouldn’t stop him drawing it or playing imaginary games, Id just try to get other stuff in eg getting back to good old fashioned bubbles, play dough, buying stickers, playing shopping list games, snap, chasing, getting friends over and going to soft play, and watching movies but every so often do talk about the game with him for fun/ draw things from it with him. I sat down with 13yo to watch him play fortnite the other night and we had the best night ever! Following afternoon I watched my eight year old play Minecraft but we followed it with a game of draughts. I enjoyed it too and was wowed at what he could do!! Best of luck op and just remember we’re all battling it!!

I never stop him drawing it in fact I suggest he draws and writes about it. I think this is great because he’s using his imagination.