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

We have 5 year old twins and a newborn.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
The boys have 1/2 hr per day which can be split between the ipad and the laptop. We use a timer for one of the boys - the other is less interested and very rarely uses his full 1/2 hour.

~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
The more interested twin would be on the laptop for up to 2 hrs at a time if we didn't set a limit, or until hunger overtook him!

~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
Reading eggs, Disney's Where's my Water, CBeebies games.

~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
It s not a concern since we have set the 1/2 hour limit. The boys also have a lot of outdoor time, time on the beach and on the farm, time playing imaginative and board games. Both boys would still rather play a family board game than be on the computer.

~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
They are always supervised and we have the highest level of security set on the computer. The sanction for being narky about coming off the computer at the end of the 1/2 hr is loss of time the following day - very effective!

I set a daily limit of one hour because otherwise they would be on the internet for hours. They are not allowed to use the ipad or laptop until homework is done and I've checked it's done!

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

Definitely have a set time limit during the school week; my DS gets half an hour to an hour after school to watch Stampylonghead or play Minecraft (his usual choices) and then it's homework, dinner, bath, bed. During the weekend I'm a bit more relaxed, so he usually plays in the morning and then we go outside for a walk to the park after lunch.

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

I set them during the school week because if I don't, his brain gets totally over-stimulated and then it's very hard for him to wind down and get a good night's sleep. If I let him, he'd obviously be on from the moment we walked in the door until midnight!

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

He is really into Minecraft, so he watches all the popular Minecraft Let's Play videos on Youtube. I wouldn't let him near FB or any other social media til he's a lot older.

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

The only people he interacts with "on-line" is when he plays Minecraft with his school friends, as they all know each other's screen-names. They talk to each other through the Playstation, and write notes to each other and stuff. I pretty much keep an eye on everything he's doing. I don't feel concerned yet, but the day he asks for a FB account I will!

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

He pretty much gets how it works now and doesn't question it. We have a reward system at home and sometimes he gets extra time or money to spend on buying stuff for his games.

3yo dd might spend 30mins at a time on her tablet (cbeebies app and website, or watching a bit of a film). I've not yet felt the need to regulate her time, but would if necessary.

When she first got the tablet, she was probably on it too much TBH, but after a while she refound her other stuff, and doesn't read books or play with "real" toys any less overall.

When dd2 was born earlier this year, the tablet was invaluable as portable entertainment during numerous hospital trips for visits and check-ups.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
I let them selfmanage, but they fight between each other for access to the one iPad. Anyhow, they don't spend more than 20 mins on it apiece.

~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
I don't really need to set time limits only if they are watching video content. They could watch video content for hours and I would rather they were doing other things that that, which is rather passive.

~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
maths apps, games apps, video content sites, if I don't stop them!

~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
Not yet they are 6 and 9 and don't have an unlimited capacity to stay online. This might be an issue once they are older and into social media.

~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
No rules really just come in and distract them with something else when I think they have had enough or what they are doing is fruitless.

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

No technology in the week and limited access at weekends.

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

DD goes to a Steiner school and the school ask that we restrict access. When she reaches 14 she will have better access, and we may buy her something like a Raspberry Pi to experiment with if that is the way her skills/interests lie.

~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
When allowed access, DD likes to watch videos of things like dinosaurs or gymnastics.

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

Not a concern to me at all.

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

I am the parent, so I set the rules. It's quite simple really.

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

I have to set a limit. 2 out of my 3 dcs are technology mad and would be glued to a screen every moment they could.

Dd, 7, is allowed about an hour of tv/tablet time a day, a bit more at the weekends.

Ds, 14, is PS3 obsessed. He isnt allowed to use it in the week but is allowed to use it as he wishes at the weekends (as long as all homework is done) - usually playing online with friends.

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

See above.

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

Dd, 7 prefers to use her tablet to play games such as Plants vs Zombies, Moshi Monsters etc.

Dd, 9 , prefers reading but she does read on her Nook as well as reading books. She uses a tablet to watch something on Netflix occasionally but she is not obsessed with screens like her siblings are.

Ds, 14, uses the PS3 to play online at weekends. In the week, he spends his time on YouTube looking at clips of other people playing.

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

It's not a concern because I control it and they accept that finally.

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

All homework has to be done. Screens go off if there is any arguing. Ds must pause his game if his sisters come into the room - his games are too graphic for younger children and he knows he has a responsibility to monitor what they see.

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

DS(3) doesn't use the Internet unattended, so only sees what we show him. But he has plenty of tech around him, LeapPad, DW's Kindle Fire for a couple of games, Wii U. But he generally manages his own time.

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

I think he'd be fine. He's interested in lots of things other than just playing video games.

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

Mostly games.... Toddler stuff on the Kindle and Mario Kart!

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

Not at all. Even when he's old enough to use the Internet properly, I think it's a great source of information which is there to be used.

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

I say as long as there's no major negative impact on important offline elements of life then the Internet is a wonderful place to learn. Whether that's through games or videos or articles, it's there for our consumption.

DD is only 2 but loves playing with computers, especially touch screens. I have therefore decided not to have a tablet or touchscreen phone as she would want to be on it constantly. It also means they are a real novelty when she borrows someone else's to keep her amused (as happened at a wedding this weekend)

Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
We set limits on school days, not so much at weekends, but we do have to keep an eye on DS.

Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
Because he would play endlessly on the computer or consoles if I didn't.

What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
DS likes Cbeebies, watching things on Youtube and on the Mathletics and Bugclub websites for homework.

Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
I don't worry about time online, it's the Xbox I worry about more.

Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
DS is monitored whenever he goes online. He is not allowed to just type anything in to search and he is only allowed to be on the computer in the living room-no looking online in his bedroom-although he is only 6 so this is easy to manage at the moment.

Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
we have 'screen time' which was just the time after dinner until bathtime, but since DC1 started school, we've extended that from when we get home, as he's too shattered to really do anything. That screen time can be TV or computers/phones. This sometimes also includes mornings on the weekend.

Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
Because he'd sit and watch the TV or play games all day if we let him.

What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
Cbeebies website (still little!) or playing "Where's Perry?" or "Cut the rope" on DH's tablet.

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

Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
only when I say it's ok. We're still at the early stages now, I guess it's going to get harder when he can work out our passwords to get on the laptops/tablets without having to ask permission!

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

No particular time limit, there are different factors as to how much I allow.

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

I don't. They rarely ever go on, even though I wouldn't mind if they did.

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

Cbeebies and Youtube.

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

Not a concern for me.

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

Fighting/squabbling or bad behaviour means I stop it straight away.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
My children self manage but if they have homework, are tired or I think they are having too much screen time, I will intervene. They are usually pretty good though.

~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
I don't set time limits as I haven't had to. I would if I felt the need.

~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
Snapchat, Youtube, Netflix, Instagram; Kik, Itube (teens).

~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
No, compared to to some of their friends they don't go on much.

~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
Just that homework and home life comes first.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
Very strict time limit for DD 7 and DS 5. 15mins each a day which has gradually reduced from an hour each (which basically ended up as 2hrs because they tend to sit together) - sounds really harsh I know but actually they are perfectly content with it, as it's long enough for the little games they tend to play.
~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
Our two DCs are very different from each other. DS is absolutely fine when we ask him to turn off the iPad, DD though has in the past flipped out - when we were first given it (hand me down from a friend) we didn't impose limits and she got totally engrossed like 'tunnel vision' which is why we started limiting it. I don't think she would be able to self regulate very well, whereas DS possibly could. We set limits because I don't think screen time should be a big part of their day, compared to running around or playing lego etc, at this age. They don't even use their time most days especially during the week if they're engrossed in something else.
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
Apps made by companies like sago mini and Toca Boca, and games like temple run.
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
Only in the sense of it taking away physical play time, but since it's limited, no I don't worry any more. They aren't really 'online' in the sense of Facebook and that kind of stuff so no concerns there.
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
All iPad use is in the living room only. They sometimes use YouTube to watch funny videos or cartoons and anime, and they know I have to be sitting with them if they want to do that (in case a search throws up something dodgy). DD occasionally asks to have her time on the laptop instead but again I sit with her for that because the games she likes (monster high dress up and other such delights) seem to be full of pop ups and adverts that open a gazillion other tabs.
My tip for dealing with screen time is that any time they get stroppy or refuse to turn it off, which DD occasionally does, they lose their time the next day. It doesn't happen often

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

We set a time limit for our son.
~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
I think our son would keep using the iPad if there was no time limit for hours. We set a limit as it's not good for him to be in front of a screen for so long and because it otherwise forms a habit and I would rather he uses it for short periods and gets outside more.
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on? Cbeebies games and programmes.
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
Yes I don't want my son to spend too much time in front of a screen, it makes him badly behaved when he's inside for too long and not had any exercise.
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it? I limit it to what I feel is appropriate for that occasion, depending on what he's playing or doing and what else we can do. Ie if it's an awful rainy day I might allow him longer than if it's a nice sunny day and we have the opportunity to go to the park.

My daughter (4) plays some child number and letter games on my phone, normally in the half hour before dinner is ready. My son (3) sometimes plays the farm animals game while daughter is doing homework, but not every day and never for long, he gets bored with it quickly.

Other than that we've no other technology they're able to go on.

My son is too young to use mobile devices himself but he is getting very good at popping in a dvd and watching it.

We do let him watch YouTube videos on our phones or ipads but obviously we decide what he can see, usually heavy machinery at work.

In general he's allowed to watch one movie a day, either on an ipad or from dvd, but can watch unlimited when he's poorly.

We think it's important that he only interact with technology at this age when we are using it too.

I have subscribed to the cbeebies magazine through my ipad and we do those activities together as well.

DS is still too little to want lots of tech time, and mainly just wants to watch Ben & Holly on Youtube. He does like the Peppa Pig game apps and some of the CBeebies games, although he needs my help with those.

As he gets older and more proficient with tech, I am conscious of the need to manage it more closely- my DP can't drag himself away from browsing the internet on his phone and it drives me bloody mad!

Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
We set rough time limits

Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
We set limits as we want the children to do other stuff too. DD1 would otherwise spend too much time on the computer playing games or facebook, and DD2 would watch too much TV. We mainly limit by not allowing electronics until later in the day.

What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
15 year old on facebook. 10 year old watching DVDs.

Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
No concerns as we manage it.

Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
School work, exercise and other activities normally to be done first.
All electronics in living room, none in rooms.
Items are shared, not personal items belonging to the child - makes it easier to manage use.
Internet turned off on 15yrear old phone.

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

we use the buzzer on the oven. DS1 doesnt respond to anything else.
~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
Because I think there are more constructive things to be doing than staring at a screen. He plays minecraft, which is excellent, but he needs to be 'playing' physically - either outdoors or indoors with something like lego, or drawing.
~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
minecraft
~ Are you concerned about the amount of time they spend online or is it not a concern to you?
yes. I don't think you can avoid it these days, but its up to us to restrict it. I also have to watch him if he wants to look at youtube (for instructionals etc ) because he can come across anything on there.
~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
He can earn time online - doing extra homework, or tasks or even being kind for no reason can earn him 'tablet' or 'xbox' time. We relax the rules if his friends come round. He cannot just sit on it endlessley.

My son goes on his laptop in the morning for about half an hour and then again when he gets back from school for about 40 minutes. I usually have to go in and remind him about 5 minutes before the time is up! Without the time limit he would be on Minecraft all day!! I think a lot of time spent on screen takes away creativity and gives children an addictive nature.

DC is 2.4 but utterly fascinated by technology; she was unlocking the iPhone and iPad at 9 months.

~ Did you have to set a time limit or does your child self manage?
We do; toddlers have no concept of time

~ Why do you set time limits and what do you think your child would do if you didn't?
We use technology as a short term distraction / treat, for example if she is sick or if we're on a plane. If we didn't set limits she would play on the iPad for much too long.

~ What sort of sites or apps does your child spend the most time on?
She only uses YouTube (we set up a short video such as Postman Pat [15 mins] and then lock the iPad) or kiddie games

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

~ Do you have any rules re time online or any techniques or tips for dealing with it?
We say at the beginning "Let's watch one Postman Pat" or "Let's play this game once" and then name something else specific to do afterwards "and then we'll have a drink and a banana".

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

Children self-manage up to a point. Privileges are withdrawn if they've spent more than a couple of hours on without finding anything else to do OR if they've been naughty in some way!

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

Could quite easily see DS in particular using technology from dawn until dusk without parental supervision. DD find a lot of things to do with her time so she's less fussed about using technology in the first place. It has a place in her life but it's much less a 'must' for her.

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

DS it's Minecraft and FIFA all the way (he's nothing if not predictable if you look at his search history!). With DD it's Zoella YouTube Clips!

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

In a way it does because it's not how I grew up but I know the world has moved on enormously since we had to rely on books, games and outdoor activities for our entertainment.

I do get annoyed though that DH brings so much technology into the house. DS didn't get a DS until he was 10 but in the past five years DH has bought loads of things and we are 'drowning in it' from my perspective. So it's everywhere!

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

Not in bed and not until homework's done! And we're thinking of introducing a 5:2 'diet' to technology so the weekends are tech-free for quality family time!

My DD is 6. We don't have time limits at the moment because she's not a big techno user.
However, when she occasionally won't come off the leappad, we tell her to turn it off and distract her with another activity (fodd usually does the trick!).
I guess that she'll soon be wanting to spend more time using technology and I suspect we'll be setting limits and using online time as a reward for chores.