Please share your thoughts with Vodafone on how long you allow your children to spend with technology each day: you could win a £250 voucher NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

To celebrate the launch of the new Vodafone family price plan (Red+) they would love to get you discussing how much time you or your DP/DH allow your child(ren) to spend with technology each day or what rules you have in relation to this.

Vodafone say "For some parents, the internet can seem like a bit of minefield and with new technology emerging all the time, it can be hard to stay up to date. If that sounds like you, worry not. Vodafone has put together some guides and articles to help parents maintain control and keep the family safe – find out more here"

"Vodafone has also launched a new plan, designed specifically for families. Red+ gives you one data allowance to share and you can even cap your kids’ data so they don't go over their limit. You'll get one simple bill for all devices, saving you money compared to individual plans, and you'll also get unlimited calls and texts".

The Vodafone Digital Parenting Guide can be found here: www.vodafone.co.uk/family

So please share on this thread your thoughts on this: for example

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?

Add your comment to this thread and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 John Lewis voucher.

Please note your comments may be used by Vodafone or MN on Vodafone pages, social media or possibly elsewhere - please only add a comment if you're happy for it to be used.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage? I have to nag :(
~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't? Spend all day on the bloody thing!
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on? Games
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you? Yes, they need to be active!
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it? I tempt them away with fun alternatives!

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage? I have to nag :(
~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't? Spend all day on the bloody thing!
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on? Games
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you? Yes, they need to be active!
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it? I tempt them away with fun alternatives!

a couple of hours of tv. it doesn't really bother them as long as they have something to paint, glue or make.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
No, we don't have a set time limit, but I do encourage my DD to play outdoors, read a book or have a break if I think she has spent too long with her gadgets.
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
She likes to watch music videos, short films, eg Barbie and watches people playing Minecraft on YouTube, which I think is bizarre.
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
No, it is not a concern to me as long as some days she will spend a long time with her gadgets and other days she will do other things.
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
Gadgets get put away at family mealtimes by all members of the family.

two hours max

My children all have access to the laptop, 3DS and the eldest 3 (all at high school) have a smart phone. I limit their access if it looks like they are spending too long on them. I sometimes take my sons' phones off them at night if it looks like they might try to use them in bed instead of sleeping too! My eldest spends all his time doing Pokemon - totally obsessed and I have to take it away to get him to do other things, he has ADHD & autism and gets very distraught if his access is limited, but he can't spend all his time on it. My 2nd son spends hours on his laptop looking things up like the latest tips for using a Raspberry Pi, or game hacks and he experiments with programming and learning computer knowledge so it's often good time doing independent learning. My 9 year old boy would spend all day on Minecraft if he was allowed so he has to be limited. My eldest daughter looks up fashion tips but limits herself well and the next 3 girls are learning how to use the laptop and how to find things - they find girlie websites and get bored of stuff quite easily. They don't spend long on their 3DS either. my 2.5 year old boy loves to play on the DS and he also can get apps working on my phone! He is so young that I don't allow him to do it for very long! I don't have any fixed rules, but I do try to make sure that all the kids do other activities and don't spend excessive time playing games!

I think when children younger it is important to restrict it and to be seen as a reward but as they get older more difficult. I always tried to encourage mine to have a mixed social and active life outside of technology.

DD needs limits to protect her from all engulfing Youtubers and fangirl sites. So limited to an hour after homework in week and more at weekends once homework done. Internet shut off at nightime apart from Friday nights. Try to make sure that she has other activities so focus not on her phone. But she loves it...

No time limits - depends on what we're doing (on journeys it's almost unlimited), how they're behaving. Usually no more than 30 minutes if we're at home and it's supervised in that we're in the room and sometimes sitting next to them.

Sites - CBeebies and Youtube (youtube watching is strictly monitored to make sure they don't access something inappropriate)

Not concerned about time on-line, will probably be more of a problem as they get older.

Battery runs out! Or we just give a 5 minute warning and then switch it off, with another activity ready to go.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
My DS is only 6 so we manage the time he's on it, when he's well behaved and not easily irritated by the games he's allowed on it for longer.
~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
I set time limits because I don't want him growing up one of those nerdy kids that plays on games indoors all day long and doesn't see outside.
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
I don't like him playing GTA on the Xbox with partner and his friends as they play it in the kitchen area he does watch but I don't like him playing and he certainly doesn't play anything online
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
I would rather he played on electronic items such as the Xbox and the DS less and played with his 'toys' more, but all his friends seem to rush for the DS as soon as they walk through the door at school breakfast club as well so I don't think he's alone in this fad
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
If he starts getting angry and irritable that Mario or someone else fictional isn't doing what he wants, he goes into techno time out where he has to play in his room with non electronic toys for half an hour, longer if he continues to cry and be angry.

I limit them to 2 hours max and not after 7pm. Some of the games they play are educational and its something they enjoy

My grandchildren are allowed to play after their homework and dinner is over and before bath and bedtime.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
Yes, no screen time between 10am - 4pm

~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
Set limits to encourage them to keep a wider range of interests, otherwise they would be on Mincraft/youtube/driving games all the time

~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
Minecraft and youtube

~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
I am concerned less by the amount of time than by the apparent addiction!

~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
See above. Sanctions for moaning about switching off. No screens at the dinner table or in bedrooms at night

Not a strict limit, but appoximately an hour a day at the most.

They are allowed their gadgets before and after dinner, but never during. And we have a zero tolerance policy of gadgets in the bedroom when it's time for bed.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?

I need to set time limits because otherwise they'd be on it all day! That said, in the holidays there are some days where we're on some kind of technology for a majority of the day :/

~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?

Because my child wouldn't come off... well, one of them wouldn't anyway. It's unfortunate - but it's the way it is.

~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?

Games like tiny thief & angry birds.

~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?

They don't spend time online - only on apps (as far as online goes). But I would like to impose more of a time limit on computers.

~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?

I'm not very good with imposing or sticking to the time limits, so I could use some tips myself! It's fine with my youngest but my eldest son is autistic and isn't intertested in much if it doesn't involve the computer or a tv! x

No longer than about an hour, for any homework and socialising, if they want to talk to their mates for longer than that, they can get some exercise, and pop round to their house next door! :)

My children are 8 and nearly 5 and i'll let them have a couple of hours on the wii u or their hudls but then they get put away. D's has hfa so has issues if he doesn't have a bit of time with his games. Ideally it'd be less but due to this probably does spend more time playing on it than the average child. They probably get more TV than I'd like as we are a TV loving family and have it on in the background a lot. They are very active children and we do a lot of other outdoor activities so feel it evens itself out really.

my youngest son has autism and non verbal for one hour and a reward he's on his ipad doing puzzles and watching cartoons which is fab for us to see him happy.

I don't limit time on technology as such but I do monitor what they're doing on it. I don't let them spend ages just watching pointless videos on Youtube but I will let them watch educational ones.

I also let my 4yr old use my laptop to use the Reading Eggs website, if I was limiting his tie then he wouldn't get as much use out of it as he does now.

Usually an hour on schooldays, no limit on weekends

We only find games like minecraft or sims a problem. So for these 1 hour limit at a time. Other games 2/3 hours . Then must do homework or play board games , lego etc

We don't really have a set limit

No strict limits but up to 2 hours max usually, depends on the circumstances of the day, though I do try and limit what they use after 7 so it doesn't impact on their sleep

Absolutely no gaming during school weeks, and semi supervised surfing / tablet use. For us this works surprisingly well and the children are much better off for it. These rules were implemented because the children began to enter a zombie like state if too many games were played - not a good look!