Gaming time - 8 year old boy

[JazzyComposition]

He'd be playing games at the computer for hours if I let him, but now that we're back to school, how long you let your dc play computer games, nintendo, xbox and the like?

Only have iPad/iTouch but i allow one hour per day at the weekends. Complete ban during the week now we're back at school (Mon morning to Fri teatime) although he can use the computer for homework if needed.

My 6 and 9 year olds get about 30-45 minutes on non-after school activity days.

Gaming time is instead of tv time.

Base it on screen time, so about 1 hr per day covers TV, DS, Wii. Will allow more at weekends as nights draw in & weather gets foul.

Hi JazzyComposition:

I've got girls so it may be different but once it's school time again we strike a deal. No games until all homework is done. I also negotiate - you can play angry birds for 30 minutes, but only after you play maths games/ English games/ etc... on school's moodle intranet site (a virtual learning environment)/ My maths (school has signed up to this)/ BBC Learning or Mathsfactor (we have joined this). Usually they don't mind - and everybody is happy.

We do have one solid rule - no video games (on DS/ Tablet) at bath/ bedtime. That's our reading time and all 'electricals' are switched off. There's been a bit of pouting from Dad who likes to slope off and play a video game himself - but it ensures that at least 20 - 30 minutes of reading happens most days.

What I will add is some video games do involve a lot of reading/ puzzle solving - so you do actually have to vet these things. Personally we've not been too clear to DDs that their video games (Brain Training/ Professor Layton DS games) have some good educational points - we've preferred to keep that under wraps.

I think like all things it's about finding the right balance. If they're playing sports all the time, but never studying, that's no good either.

HTH

I am really mean! During term time there is absolutely no TV or games Mon-Thurs as it was causing SO many arguments I thought it was easier just to put a blanket ban on screen based things. Mine do activities 2 nights per week anyway so when we get back there is only time for food and homework really. They are allowed to do what they want Friday evening and watch TV Saturday morning when they get up! DS is 8 and DD is 5 btw! I think about 45minutes on ipad/Ds is sufficient at any one time and TV time is about 1 hr max at one go.

Right. I think my DS is in for a shock...

We have 1 hour on a sat and another on a sund.
during the week they have tv time once they have done afterschool activities and homework before dinner but no tv after dinner
they can watch tv once they are dressed and everything is ready for school until we leave for school which normally is about 15-20 mins worth.

on random week days if they have been brilliant they are allowed half an hour on the big computer on the t'internet site kizy

If I had my way we would ban all screens during the week but DH and I are not in agreement about it.

The rule for my 8 and 10 yos is no screens on Mon - Thurs eve.

They watch TV on Sat + Sun am for about 1 hr each, and we often watch a DVD movie on Sat eve.

The advice I give parents of my class (Year 6) is one hour screen time a day tops (that's TV/Games/IPads/Phones...) and make sure everything's off at least one hour before you want them to go to sleep.