AIBU to expect GCSE/A level aged DC to leave all phones/ tablets outside their rooms overnight?

[Brynhildr]

I have 2 DC, one Yr11 and one Yr13, both Summer-born. They find the self-discipline needed for revision very hard and get easily distracted.

Following a letter from the school about revision and the distractions of social media and also everything I've read elsewhere I am making it a rule that all devices stay outside their rooms on charge overnight from 10.30 until after their exams.

They've complained that I'm the ONLY parent they know that does this. I do know others that do but apparently that means that my mum friends must also be controlling and unreasonable.

Yr13 DC needs to get A*AA for their chosen Uni and has no lower insurance offers. They 're keen to go and will be devastated if they miss it.

Part of me thinks at 17 they shouldn't need any guidance but then I think about kids in boarding schools/ public schools who have strict prep sessions and presumably don't have free access to the internet and social media and they seem to do well and develop a good disciplined work ethic.

To me it's not a matter of trust , it's a matter of removing temptation. It's analogous to my sweet tooth- if someone puts a plate of biscuits next to me I would find them hard to resist even if I'm trying to avoid sugar, but if I can't see them out of sight is out of mind.

What do you think is reasonable and what worked for your DC? AIBU?

It's been really useful to get everyone's take on this, thanks. I've decided to leave things as they are with DC2 (Yr11) as she's fine with it now but take a different approach with DC1 (Yr13). I'll have a chat with her when she's home this evening and see what might be of most help rather than insist on the phone being outside her room. On reflection I agree that it needs to come from her at 17 but I know she gets sucked into her virtual world and before she knows it hours have passed. I just know how upset she would be to miss her offer for her dream course/ uni but I suppose that should provide a very strong incentive for her.

Bunbaker apparently there is a way of limiting access to specific sites and I've been told that DCs can use it themselves to self-regulate. They can specify how many minutes/ hours access they will allow themselves daily on particular sites and once they reach the limit it blocks access. I'll see if I can find out what it's called.

Just google "site blocker" and you should get quite a few hits, depending on the operating system, e.g. Android or iOS. There will be options where you can block sites completely, or between certain hours, or after X minutes use.

I do this with year 8,9 and 12 children, but only for the last fe months

It serves the year 12 child right as he grassed up the year 8 child at a very inappropriate time