iPad time for five year old

[SkyBlue1987]

How much time do you allow? I feel bad as I had a very rough time with a non sleeping contact napping baby when my eldest son was 4 so allowed iPad time more than I would have liked to survive. Now he’s 5 and I’m much more rested I want to reduce iPad time as he constantly asks for it - I realise this is my fault. We don’t do it before and after school but on weekends I’m unsure if I should allow an hour or so.

My grandchild’s parents just cannot find it ! It has been a game changer since it went ‘missing ‘ !! Grandchild is the same age as.

I think it depends what your child is doing on it. My DGS spends quite a bit of time on his - sometimes he’s watching TV but sometimes he’s doing educational games - phonics, shape/colour matching etc.
it can be hard to encourage him to do other activities sometimes so the iPad has to sleep 😴!

Zero except when on an airplane or train.

But every family is different!

By keeping it and limiting it, you are likely make it far more painful for everyone involved. Lose it or have broken (the battery dies and you don't charge it). Do a trip together to your library and come back with as many books you can borrow on both cards at once.
The transition will be hard, shave plenty of option such as Djeco activity boxes, new toys, ...

Same here!
They have tv time and that's it.

At most an hour on a Saturday. We did almost no screens until about 9 apart from about 2 hours including TV all week. All folks are different but worked for us as wanted them to be more active.

Yeah I'd 'break' it or 'lose' it.

My almost five year old has none unless we are on holiday then it’s all bets off.

He does watch too much TV though.

Zero

Absolutely none at all. Sell it.

If I'm reading your op correctly @SkyBlue1987 he's having an hour on a Saturday and Sunday and that's it? Unless he's watching ridiculous YouTube crap or something or he turns into a demon when it goes off/if you say no to using it, I don't really see the issue with 1/2 hours a week on an iPad and I'm saying that as someone whose 5 year old has never had one.

Zero. She has 30 mins of CBBC cartoons as an after supper wind down but that's it. I strongly believe that screen time is not good for developing brains, but I'm probably an outlier!

The issue will be they will want it more and more. Get rid

Children regulate differently. I would set a clear pattern in place e.g. you can have X time on Saturday but only after lunch or whatever suits. Then never give in the the nagging. If that works then great. If that doesn't you may need to remove it.

Our DS has a game on it he plays with DH. He is allowed 30 mins 3 or 4 times per week. They don't really watch TV apart from Gladiators at the weekend. This works for us as DS enjoys it but is able to stop when asked. I know some are not keen on games, but we are happy that it is collaborative (discussing with DH) and not too 'fast'. (He used to ask to play a quick reactions game that was addictive and we stopped).

I would try to stop his use of it. Keep screen time to the family TV, that’s much easier to monitor and control.

My 4 yo has up to an hour a day at the weekend and up to 20 minutes after swimming mid week.
She has colouring, phonics and ceebees apps only and there are limits on each app.
I can control when and how long she has it from my phone and usually start with 10-15 minutes and add more as and when so the hour gets spread out and she does things in between.

We have none. Mine are are 12 and 7 and don’t have an iPad (though eldest has a phone but not unrestricted use of it). Just take it away. Put the tv on. They can watch it or play with it on in the background, but it doesn’t have the same dopamine response as a screen right in their face. Once you get over the initial hump, you won’t miss it.

Mine uses a tablet for a maths app for school homework and that’s it. No need for them to be on screens by themselves at 5, it’s completely different from watching something on tv as a family. If you don’t need it for school I’d just hide it.