Internet addiction

[FedupDad55]

Does anyone have any experience of weaning a 13 year old off the internet at night? I’m trying to put a 10.30 rule in and she was absolutely freaking out last night until about 2am. Like kid from The Exorcist! 🫤😖

Probably not massively helpful, as the deed has already been done, but this was something we put in place form the outset, as I worried mine (now 14) would be the same (and she is, right up until the point her phone turns off!).

We have a compromise, school nights phone/internet go off at 10pm, Fridays and Saturdays there are no limits. Could you try something like that?

It is hard putting the genie back in the bottle but you just have to be firm and ride out the exorcist display that will follow.

Acknowledge her reasons for wanting it and strength of feeling. Then explain that you've listened and thought hard about it but have decided that this is what you need to do for her as part of your job as parents for x,y,z reasons. Then stick to it.

It is much, much better if you have some sort of nanny software which switches it off every night at the same time, adjustable for weekends/holidays if you want. Greatly reduces the arguments. And a hard rule on no phones in room overnight.