how much screen time is reasonable for an 11 yr old,year 7.

[caringdad66]

I think i am allowing my son too much screen time,but would love to see what you all think to check.
By screen time i mean- smartphone/i pad tablet/and x box.
I currently allow my son between 18-24 hours per week ,on average.
He is achieving at school,plays out with friends 4/5 times per week and plays football for a team twice a week.
So he does have an active social life,but even with all that is 24 hrs per week too much screen time.
( should add that he doesnt watch tv like i did when i was 11,it would appear that tv has been replaced by the internet).
However he is cheeky,and disrespectful sometimes.
All advice greatly appreciated.

18-24hrs does seem quite a bit, though I suppose if you break it down it's perhaps 2hrs each weekday and then 4-6hrs each weekend day?
Sounds like he's got a pretty balanced and busy life so it's obviously not causing a particular problem in your family so if it works for you, then that's ok
I think cheeky and disrespectful go with the "being an 11yr old" territory but perhaps think about knocking reducing the day's screen time by 30 mins for each instance of it? That should focus his mind

If you want a contrast though, my son (same age, school year) is usually attached to a screen for anywhere between 30mins to 1.5hrs on a weekday and a couple of hours each weekend day, so a total over the week of probably 9-11hrs.
I don't include schoolwork related screen time though, so if you add that in, it's probably more like 15hrs.

I don't put limits on mine, so long as homework is done and he's done everything I've asked him to do ie run to the shop, put his clean clothes away etc I don't mind him being on his ps4.

He has activities 3 times a week and goes out with friends.

I am the same as Wee. We don't limit screens in our house except for meal times and bedtime (no gadgets or TV in bedrooms). Dd is in y7 and all the top sets. I think limiting screen time just causes even more fixation and arguments.

Dd is 11 and we do the same as Wee and Fairy. Dd chooses for herself how much screen time she wants, some days she doesn't bother at all, she does activities, likes to read and draw and do crafts other days she likes to watch dvd's play minecraft etc. I think when screens are seen as forbidden fruit they are far more wanted than if they are just one of many options.

We do similar .... NO gadgets upstairs, no gadgets at the table, no gadgets before you are ready for school. But apart from that, we don't limit.

Have 2 DDs aged 12 and 13 (Y8 and 9) - they self regulate nicely - love crafts and reading, get their homework done and are both top sets for everything at school.

If we think too much time is being spent, then we suggest a dog walk, baking, helping with tea, set the table etc - distraction rather than banning.

my ds and dd both 11 have just started secondary school so now it's very different. We are all generally home by 5.30. The routine I'm trying to put in place is I start the tea, they change from school uniform, hang up, prepare bag for the next day and then set the table. If tea is still cooking they will either watch tv/play on wii/play on ipods for a little while, we all have tea, then clear away, the plan is that if all that has happened by 7 then can have an hour to do what they want to. This would generally mean 5-6 hours in weekdays and then weekends, they usually watch it when they get up then a bit longer until I'm ready. If we have something planned then we'll do that but generally Saturday is the day that they will watch more, however even if you add all that up it still only comes to 10 hours a week.

I'm the same, no gadgets upstairs.

Homework they will do at homework club which finishes at 5 for ds and 4.30 for dd. Any remaining homework done when they get home or on Saturday/Sunday depending upon what it is. At the moment there's a lot of covering/decorating their new books.

I agree with justashopgirl I don't ban unless it's for a punishment, it's much better to do other things which distract or fill their time, eg. find a good book, go for a walk, park, go out and about. TV is just a fill in to my mind for when the adult needs a break or lie in but it's also good when the kids have had a challenging week/tiring week at school to catch up with their rest and chill out for a bit.

Of course like probably loads of other families, we need to get more exercise but after working full time and keeping the routine going of uniform, preparing lunches, preparing tea every night and washing up and drying up on your own, we all need that chill out time so tv is a good tool to be used but not abused. It's nice to say you help me with this then we can all sit together and watch a movie and cuddle up.

My ds is in S1 (year 7), though he is 12.6

Up to now computer gaming time is restricted to 30 mins a day, and an hour Fri, Sat, Sun. He can "earn" more time by helping out at home, and gets more time if he has a friend round (or if he and his mates have agreed on something online, mainly FIFA!).

In the summer hols on the weeks we were at home, it was a bit more.

He plays football twice a week, goes to athletics club, plays piano, goes to scouts and church - honestly he doesn't have a lot of time through the week. He gets in from school at 4 on Monday and Friday, and 5 on the other days.

If he's on the ps4 too much he's really grumpy, even he realises this and he will voluntarily take a break at weekends.

We've managed to channel some of his computer-fixation into something, he goes to a monthly coding club and has just started learning how to use a Raspberry Pi, which is challenging him - and he's still determined to be a games designer when he's older. He's currently doing concept art for the characters of a game he's made up. Mainly this involves drawing elaborate armour and really huge guns! But at least it's a slightly different activity, though based on gaming!

if he is active and sociable and is achieving at school then I think you are fine.

dsc's do very well at school but have no life once they come home as it's all screen time. this was the same when dp and ex were still together.

we heavily limit it when they are with us to balance it out and to be honest they also don't ask for it. they get out on their bikes, walk miles with the dog, play outside

do what works for you. it works for their Dm to allow them unlimited screen time, it doesn't work for us.