Do you have children aged 11-13?

[roisin]

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc?
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'?
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week?
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute?

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day
5c) TV per school day
5d) TV per holiday day
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

Thank you for your time.

This is great - thanks again to everyone who's responded. Especially those who are stricter than me!

We don't have screens in bedrooms either. I think part of our battle is that ds1 is not naturally sporty and needs encouragement for any kind of exercise, and he also has the sort of personality that easily gets addicted to things... hence the limits!

I knew I wasn't being unreasonable, and you've reassured me. Thanks!

roisin, has he tried more alternative sports rather than the traditional type.
DS is really into kayaking, climbing and shaolin at the moment. Hes never been into football,cricket rugby etc or but he is out most nights now doing something.

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 11
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? yes 1/2 hour a day on consoles. 1 hour TV when home from school
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Formal per day
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? Absolute

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day 1/2 hour
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day 1 hour maximum
5c) TV per school day 1 hour
5d) TV per holiday day try to get them out if a nice day a couple of hours tv if they are inside
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12 1/2
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? yes, loosely (i.e. making sure it's not to much
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? No
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? if we feel he spends to muhc time on the computer he will be ask to get off it. Usually he goes out a fair bit, so, that limits his time....iykwim

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day
5c) TV per school day
5d) TV per holiday day
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

Thank you for your time.

Christywhisty - he comes walking/hiking with us. He also enjoys things like climbing and canoeing when he has the opportunity. But it's not really something he can do regularly.

I'm hoping that if I keep up the strict regime he may be keener to joing extra-curric stuff at school* or something out of school. He did swim for the club for a while, but the training is quite intensive and time-demanding, and he just didn't have that level of commitment.

*He has joined a German club and a reading club , both of which he enjoys, but it would be good if he were doing at least one thing that was more active/less cerebral!

1. How old is your dc? 13 (Yr 9)
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? No
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? N0
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? N/A

DS is a total computer geek. His spare time is spent rebuilding laptops, making family laptops run faster etc. He runs servers for internet games and earns extra pocket money from friends by sorting out their problems, and downloading TV programmes for them etc!

As long as homework and music practice done, if his nose isn't in a book it is in a screen (but he does do swimming 3 nights a week).

1. How old is your dc? 11
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? I keep an eye on it
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Not exactly, but I try to limit screens to an hour a day on weekdays
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? Flexible depending on circumstances

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day Normally only used for homework
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day same
5c) TV per school day An hour between school and tea
5d) TV per holiday day Two or three hours if not doing other stuff
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

1. How old is your dc? nearly 13
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? per day
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? very rarely alter them.

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day. SHe gets a 90 mins slot access to internet between 6 and 8 but only if she has finished her homework. We have a setting on our cyber patrol software which monitors this and restricts access.
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day 2 and a half hours.
5c) TV per school day - she doesn't really watch tv but I would probably drag her away after an hour or so.

SHe has a pc in her room but not a TV
5d) TV per holiday day. couple of hours.
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Yes
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? Flexible - more screen time on quiet days/poorly days/weekends/holidays

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day - 1 hour for TV and computer combined
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day - no formal limit but loosely monitored - probably max 3 hours total TV/computer time combined - less in summer
5c) TV per school day - see above
5d) TV per holiday day - see above

5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

No Nintendos or Game Boys. No BEBO or Facebook. No Hollyoaks or Skins.

Good grief - must sound awful but really not. It is a fun, happy house and DD seems very jolly. Just plays a lot with DD2 and reads a lot and generally just potters! (Plays violin and piano too but no more than half hour per day combined.)

1. 12 and 14

2.yes 3.yes 4.absolute 5.none 6.none 7.none 8 none 9.dvds if homeowrk done and they ask

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12 (Yr 7)

2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes

3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? No.

With television/DVD I make it clear that this is not a default activity but an occasional treat, say a few times a week. The only TV/DVD is in the living room so easily monitored. But I will be flexible for special occasions.

Only computer with internet connection in the house is my work/Mumsnet computer, so her time on that is naturally limited
She is allowed unlimited time on non-connected laptop as she has writing difficulties and has ambitions to be a writer.

4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute?

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
Depends on the need (i.e. school project, the weather, my need and her state of health). Not an everyday occurrence unless for school.

5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day

As above, and also depends on weather.

5c) TV per school day

Not everyday activity but would depend on above factors plus importance of programme.

5d) TV per holiday day

As above, plus weather.

5e) Other (please specify) per school day

DS unlimited, but school work clearly has to get done. She limits herself.

5f) Other per holiday day

DS- depends on weather and activity planned.

Are those imposing limits mostly parents of boys (or it's boys who have the limits?)

DD's not big on screens so imposing limits isn't something that occurs to me.

Please fill in my quick survey:

1. How old is your dc? 12
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? hmm just generally keep an eye out on what she's up to, only has internet access downstairs (very small house)
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? No
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute?

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day
5c) TV per school day
5d) TV per holiday day
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

1. How old is your dc? 11 & 9
2. Do you monitor the time your dc spends on 'screens'? Yes
3. Do you have formal limits per day or per week? Yes - ish
4. Do you bend/flex those limits or are they absolute? More or less absolute

If you answered "yes" to 3, what are the limits you set:
5a) Computer per school day
5b) Computer per weekend/holiday day
5c) TV per school day
5d) TV per holiday day
5e) Other (please specify) per school day
5f) Other per holiday day

They have to switch off their screens by 8pm and they are never allowed more than a couple of hours screenwatching at one sitting. So if they flollop around with screens for a couple of hours they get taken out and exercised - to tennis, walking, cycling etc