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How much screen time for your 11/12 year old?

8 replies

Namechange8471 · 21/08/2020 16:48

So dd is 11, almost 12 and we’re at the stage where Roblox is the best thing since sliced bread 🙄.

How many hours a day do you allow your children on screens?
Is it between a certain time?

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QueenCornelia · 24/08/2020 12:32

Our 11 (nearly 12 yo) son loves Animal Crossing. We like that he likes such a chilled game, but it can be a struggle to get him off. Esp during these COVID-times, we have loosened the reins a bit on the time spent. We have one screen-free afternoon a week allocated and otherwise as long as school-work is done, chores are done, bedtime is a reasonable hour & he does plenty of other activities like sport & weekend family activities, we don’t have a set limit. On weekdays, he would have about 2 hours, & weekends more but for us the key is not letting it interfere in other commitments & ensuring he has a range of experiences/activities. Horses for courses, so whatever you feel is reasonable & fair is the answer. Hard to know what is ok when it comes to screen time though!

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tostaky · 22/09/2020 05:34

Fortnite every day for 1.5 hrs.
Before lockdown it was NOT fortnite and one hour 5 days a week.
We are trying to have one and even two days video free.... thursdays he has football so thats easy.... sometimes if he spends a lot of time with friends at the weekend i try to convince him he doesnt need to play with them again on fortnite... thats hard though...

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tostaky · 22/09/2020 05:37

What i find hard is phone use... he could stay up in his bedroom 24/7 watching youtube videos if i didnt pull him out... he bypassed all screentimes restrictions. We have parental control on phone (which i dont think he has bypassed) and on our internet provider
i think he is only interested in fortnite for now....

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Toontown · 22/09/2020 05:52

We are quite strict as I like them to play in different ways and find them obsessing about screens otherwise. So mine (10,13,14) have two days no screens of any sort apart from phones to message friends. Then an hour on Xbox 5 days a week. A few times a week they also watch a bit of telly (up to an hour or a film).

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Namechange8471 · 22/09/2020 06:54

We’ve settled for 6-8 each day after school, but only if homework/chores etc are done.

Dd was getting very lazy whilst enthralled, not even flushing the toilet afterwards 🤢.

I love animal crossing by the way 😂😂😂

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Mary8076 · 23/09/2020 09:23

It's strongly recommended no more than 1hour a day up to 12yo, 13-18yo 2 hour a day, including any screen.

On my DDs devices I use a parental control apps to limit screen time to maximum 1 hour a day, with a preset block from one hour before bedtime to the morning and I block it during homework or meals in case of need.

IMO for teens its very hard to avoid phone/socials/internet addiction and it can become a very big problem affecting their whole lives... so it's better for them to get used early to screen time restrictions and spend few time on useless "entertaining" apps, if not dangerous.