Screen time?

[superrmumm]

My dd loves social media, especially instagram. I know 11 is not the legal age, yet i frequently check up on her, make sure her account is private, and her only followers are friends.
However, (she is 11) recently she has been on her phone and laptop CONSTANTLY. She says all her friends go on it whenever they want, really want to know what you all think.
How long do you let your dd/ds on their devices?
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Sorry, do ignore the extra link at the bottom!

If you feel your daughter is spending too much on devices and the Internet there's a few things you can do.

Sit down and plan out her Easter holidays, try and fill in plenty of social activities with friends and the rest of her time with family and any free time after that is hers, to do whatever she wants with.

The idea is she spends a lot of her time doing activities and means you shouldn't be so worried about screen time affecting her.

Or set limits, be reasonable. Unlimited screen time between activities but small periods of breaks in between. Eg. Every 1-2 hours take a break and talk with family and siblings or read a book.

The main thing is it's very normal, I feel that Pre-Teens are so intrigued by the virtual world and the internet because you can do anything on it that they often forget the world around them.

Hope this helps.

Download screen time app , you set it with a password, and even my tech savvy 10yr old can't get past it.
You set the daily time, in our case its an hr a day, it has a bedtime blocker so it can't be played with late at night or early in the morning.
For us it saves the endless discussions about turning it off, it switches of and that's it.

I too swear by the screentime app, allows me to limit screen time, block certain apps, turn off at bedtime and it can all be done remotely.

Is there one for Apple? The last time I looked there was only android but this would be a help

Hi I am 11 and my brother is 7 with down syndrome and he has basically all Easter holiday staring at an iPad, he has had a chest infection, but surely staring at a screen will just give u nausea? I once had felt sick for 2 whole days because I was staring at a screen. Also it might give u headaches? I'm still having lots of screen time tho (with no 'side effects') but once he was about 5 and he played on it for a whole like 8hrs non stop:-0

My ds loves the 'screen' x box, ipad or his phone for instagram.

I allow him to use it when he wants but my rule is when i give him his 10 minute warning that we are walking the dog going shops or going to one of his activities at ten minutes it is turned of with no huffing and puffing

one huff or puff and he has no screens for the next 24 hours......

He has only huffed twice....

He is 14

Why do they have so much "free" time to spend on screens? What are they not doing that you want them to do?

Mine spend what time they want on screens - but their room will be tidy, their homework done, their piano practise completed, their chores done, the dog walked, they will mix screen/gadget time with reading and puzzles etc. and if it is nice out, they will be off out with friends.

I like the fact they self regulate now - they have been taught to do so - by letting them use the gadgets during true "FREE" time.

We don't have time to have screen time Monday to Friday most weeks, and I wouldn't encourage it/condone it anyway. I agree with somwhereIbelong. Step up the sports and hobbies, walks, play in the garden, invite the friends over she is chatting to on line for dinner and to play and be ruthless when it comes to limiting screen time. It is up to you.

I can't bear to see my children frittering away their childhood in a virtual world, so I keep them active and busy with cooking, playing, potions and being with me or their friends or both, anything that gets them off those damn things. I am quietly winning the war now finally, and they seem to be less interested.
I do think it is unhealthy for children, I know they love playing on them, mine do as well, but then they would have sweets for breakfast, lunch and tea too if they could, and what is the difference...