Screen schedule for 7yo autie boy

[mildtomoderate]

We've allowed our DS unlimited access to screens until recently, as he wore us down with his constant asking.

But due to a few negative behaviours around screens recently, involving tablets being thrown hard at whatever is closest, and a few days with absolutely no screens at all (because he smashed them all) we have realised that our DS is generally more content and present when he doesn't have unlimited screens.

Please don't think I am judging screen time btw, as I said until now our DS had unlimited time, and it worked for him and kept his anxiety down. It's just that our situation has changed now.

So now DH and are are thinking of allowing screens but only at certain times of the day, and I'm wondering if any of you have screen time schedules for your kids and if you would mind sharing them with me?

Ds (8 next month) pretty much has it when he wants when we are at home. I was trying to do a schedule but it didn’t last long.

He’s such hard work, so I appreciate some of the times he sits still and sometimes I’m the one to offer it to him if I have things I must get done.

On a school day when I was trying to limit it, I would give him it for half hour in the morning after breakfast before I got him ready for school, afternoon for an hour when his taxi dropped him off (he doesn’t stay at school a full day) then we would do other stuff / go out. Then an hour ish while I sorted tea, then he’d have another half hour or so after tea / before his bath / going up for reading, just while I cleaned up from tea etc.

Weekends as and when.

Lasted a few days and scrapped the schedule, back to unlimited, he doesn’t have many joys in life sadly, (no play dates, no visits from family, we can’t take him out much due to his behaviours, and he doesn’t really play with toys) so I felt sorry for him like I was cutting off the one thing he enjoys.

He has it more than what I would consider acceptable and I think normal parents would judge, but never mind. Needs must to get through the day! Long live the iPad!!!

Ps. he doesn’t just go on the iPad and PlayStation all day, I do talk to him and encourage him to do other things.

@danni0509

Ds (8 next month) pretty much has it when he wants when we are at home. I was trying to do a schedule but it didn’t last long.

He’s such hard work, so I appreciate some of the times he sits still and sometimes I’m the one to offer it to him if I have things I must get done.

On a school day when I was trying to limit it, I would give him it for half hour in the morning after breakfast before I got him ready for school, afternoon for an hour when his taxi dropped him off (he doesn’t stay at school a full day) then we would do other stuff / go out. Then an hour ish while I sorted tea, then he’d have another half hour or so after tea / before his bath / going up for reading, just while I cleaned up from tea etc.

Weekends as and when.

Lasted a few days and scrapped the schedule, back to unlimited, he doesn’t have many joys in life sadly, (no play dates, no visits from family, we can’t take him out much due to his behaviours, and he doesn’t really play with toys) so I felt sorry for him like I was cutting off the one thing he enjoys.

He has it more than what I would consider acceptable and I think normal parents would judge, but never mind. Needs must to get through the day! Long live the iPad!!!

Ps. he doesn’t just go on the iPad and PlayStation all day, I do talk to him and encourage him to do other things.

I absolutely agree and trust me I do not judge. It's just that, with our child, my DH and I have noticed a marked improvement in negative behaviours and general reduction in DS's anxiety when he doesn't have screens, which we didn't really expect. So we are keen to keep that going without making them completely outlawed, as he enjoys them and I don't think it's fair to deprive him completely.

Other than for school work, reading on their kindle app and whilst doing their medication/physio DS’s can have a hour a day during the week, more at weekends depending on what they are doing,