How much screen time - help!

[Wingingit247]

My partner and I have 5 kids between us, up to age 14, we’ve been far too lax about screen time and it absolutely needs to change ASAP. Everything I’m reading seems to say max 2 hours on a school night including television, not much more at weekends. We’re making sure there will be alternatives and organising and encouraging getting out a lot more, but would really appreciate anyone sharing opinions/experiences on this rather thorny topic, and tips on how to reduce it without all hell breaking loose here!

Have games/toys set out ready for play when they get home.
Put playdoh out ready on the table, Barbie/lego sets out on the floor all set up.
This really helped my kids.

Also when we say 'iPads off' they turn them off immediately or they get a 1 day ban. We're really strict about screen time and so far, they're really good at turning them off and leaving them alone. We limit screen time to 1 hour a day, with some days skipped throughout the week.
Weekends they can have longer.

The easiest thing I found was to set up parental controls with an allocated time (getting longer times as they get older). The device shut down when they reached it. That seemed to be more acceptable to them than me telling them to get off it. You need to keep it up consistently. What devices are you using?

We’ve got parental controls, and we’re just deciding what we should be limiting and how much. Feels a bit of a minefield! Plus there’s a LOT of devices in our house, iPhones, iPads, TVs and games consoles 😬 so do we limit phones/gaming very strictly, and TV less so, or all in the same bracket?

We do an hour on 2 school nights, 2 school nights with none and 2-3 hours at the weekend

We used the oven timer and when it beeped gadgets were handed straight to me. Any delays or arguments led to bans (no 'just finish', just off) only tv mon-thurs and then limited screens/gaming at weekend which was considered special. And nothing until lunch in the holidays, nothing upstairs at any point. I know I was seen as strict but I have 2 boys who grew up happy to entertain themselves reading, lego, cooking, playing outside...etc

We only had a tablet and a tv. No phones till high school so easier to police I think. I was strict. Tablet only at weekends while at primary. Must say it went downhill when they got their own phones. Also a lot of hiding my own phone usage because realise I'm a total hypocrite.

We've been setting limits the last 3 months.

No tv on their 2 nursery days. Yoto player (screen free audiobook) if eldest wakes early.

Other days limit to 2 hours. Split between 3 sessions. Some of that will be part of a family film.

Kids are younger, so no other screens, just the tv. Can listen to the yoto as much as they want

Older primary here. We also do an hour on 2 school nights, 2 school nights with none (sport one night) and 2 hours at the weekend. I set a kitchen timer up on the sofa so they can see the time going down which helps. We have had a non ipad night tonight and they've asked for TV 4 times.

I have one child who can take himself off and find a book or a toy and play for a while and one who told me after 2 mins that he'd played with all his toys and the toys now need a rest.

Also no screens before school as it slows everyone down and we just don't have time.

We have completely lost the battle on this one in our house (also 5 children, oldest 15). The phones are the worst.

Getting good ideas from here.