Year 7 and phone at night

[Shadow1986]

Due to a late finishing school and other commitments my year 7 child doesn’t get home until after 7pm. By the time they’ve had a Shower etc it’s 8pm.

My child is unhappy as they have a no screens after 7.30 rule (imposed before this new routine) but now they’re not getting back until later they don’t think it’s fair as they have no chill out time on their phones. I’m concerned about them looking at screens before bed but I can see where they are coming from. I suggested they read or drew instead.

please can other year 7 parents tell me what you do? Trying to come up with a compromise.

also what bed time is fair for a busy 11 year old?

DS has just started year 7. Similarly he is often busy after school. We've just changed the settings so that his phone locks at 9.30pm instead of 8pm. Bedtime is 9.30/9.45pm. It feels a bit late but he's the youngest of three and inevitably the rhythm of the house has changed since his eldest brother was his age. He gets to sleep quickly so I think overall he's OK.

For my 11, nearly 12, year 7, We have electronics off and bed at 9 (earlier than last year as having to get up early at 6.30), can listen to music til 9.30.
thankfully isn’t that bothered by the phone yet. Later for Friday and Saturday

I think you need to shift your arrangements, some flexibility and down time doing something of their choice is good for them

Make screen time later or they go on phones etx when I'm at 7 and then off at 730 and shower then

If you then find later screen time effects then you can stop it

I agree with them that now they have no time not fair

We have implemented a bedtime for 9pm and no screens after 8pm for this year - however one week in and it’s already not working! Got home tonight at 7.45pm from sports after school (goes straight from one to the other), quick shower and then it’s already 8pm and she wants downtime before bed so we said screen (tv) until 8.30pm and she’s just got in to bed (exhausted but struggles to fall asleep). So I think we’ll need to be flexible with the rule.

My year 7's phone locks at 8pm - like you I don't want him on it in the evening anyway.

By the way mine is constantly telling me I'm the strictest parent ever and then when I talk to other parents it's never true.

I recommend an app called Qustudio v good at controlling the phone

Given they aren't back til 7pm I'd say their screen time should be extended. Maybe just let them have it til 8.30? Or if they swapped to a morning shower they'd have more time in the evening to rest.

Is that a 7pm hometime every day? Why so late every day?

Mine has just started y7 too. His phone locks at 9pm but he usually goes upstairs between 8-8:30 for a shower/wind down time in his room. He sorts pokemon cards/Lego/reading/practices karate etc with music probably until about 9:30ish but we don't really check what time he's actually going to sleep as he has no devices up there anyway. Having spoken to his friends parents and seen the messages, a surprising amount of kids his age have their phones unlocked in their rooms overnight.

Dd just started Yr 7. She gets home 5.45pm so allowed phone until 7pm when she has to do homework. Once homework completed she then gets her phone back until 9pm when the parental restriction kicks in.
They have to hand phones in every morning at registration and get them handed back at the end of the day.
Bedtime is 9pm during the week.