Are our screen habits unusual?

[squareeyed]

I'm wondering if our screen use is unusual. It feels like we're always on them as a family... DCs are 9 and 11. They have a few after school clubs and homework/music practice. And we have work and chores. But we seem to spend all the time we're in the house and not doing those things on a screen of some kind. The weekend is the same if we're inside.

I know the answer is to switch them off, but after school/clubs they are tired and after work/chores so are we. It seems harder than when they were younger and we could suggest crafts or colouring... What do you do of an evening when everyone's knackered???

We were exactly the same. Ds woke up and I gave him his iPad.... it just became the norm. Then I had a shock with his google history “man does poo” (could have been SO much worse!) and I reigned it back in to just an hour supervised at the weekend.

Honestly? I was terrified and had no idea what we would do for entertainment - which Is sad really. It’s been a total revelation though, he was never naughty as such, but his behaviour is a million times better. He talks to me, makes inventions for the cat to play with, we play games, he draws, clay models.

I feel bad because his iPad use was down to me being lazy, and I was nervous banning it, but I wish I could go back in time and do it sooner now.

How old is your DS @Catscratchclub? It was definitely easier when they were younger,, but the amount of craft stuff they do has plummeted so, aside from reading, I'm stuck!