Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Bed time and screen time for 12yr old girls

8 replies

IDidntChoseThePondLife · 26/07/2020 11:33

Hi there, I'm posting to get an a idea of what a normal bedtime is for 12 year old girls, and what time they come off their devices.
My DD goes to bed between 9&10 and leaves all devices downstairs when she goes to bed. Her phone goes on airplane mode at around 8.30, she has started sleeping in late now it's the holiday and wakes up around 10! Obviously this won't work when they all go back to school.
Apparently it is very common for her friends to stay up messenging each other and posting on Insta until 2am, and to not be involved is social suicide.
I'm interested to hear what your thoughts are on this, is our 'routine' rather old-fashioned?

OP posts:
Annilk · 26/07/2020 17:30

Is it okay for a 12 year old to be awake regularly until 2am? Erm...no!
Healthy sleep patterns are so important, as is assertive and in-control parenting. But so many of the posts on Mumsnet seem to suggest that more and more kids stay up all night on social media...it's really worrying.
Sounds like you're doing exactly the right things, with established boundaries that will help healthy habits as she grows older. Don't fall for the 'all my friends are doing it' line - they really shouldn't be, and if they are then do you really want your DD to be friends with those in families who let it happen? What else might the parents allow or not be aware of?

IDidntChoseThePondLife · 26/07/2020 18:43

Thanks Annilk. I've always been very strict about it, because I think you have to have a digital detox before you go to sleep, just to give your brain a chance to calm down. I also worry that they're going to have a massive argument, or look at something they shouldn't if they think they are on their own.
It seems that a lot of my mum friends agree, but some are very relaxed about it. I'm an old mum (50) so am quite old fashioned in a lot of ways, so I thought I'd try to get an idea on of what the consensus is on here.

OP posts:
Tinamou · 26/07/2020 18:50

In term time DD goes to bed at 9, in the holidays it's a bit later. No phone overnight. I don't think you're old fashioned!

VirginiaWolverine · 26/07/2020 18:55

DD has her phone in her room (she uses it as an alarm clock) but I have the Family Link app on it, and so it is automatically turned off between 9.30pm and 6.30am on schoolnights. She gets an extra hour on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays.

ThroughThoroughThoughTough · 26/07/2020 18:56

My 12yo dd has a limit on her devices that prevent them working (except for podcasts) at 8.30, to give her an hour off screens before lights off. She’s below the age limit for Insta, WhatsApp, TikTok and other social media, and so she doesn’t have them.

TimeWastingButFun · 26/07/2020 19:08

My oldest is 12. He does sometimes find it hard to sleep but I never let him take his phone up to bed. Everything on charge at bedtime. Sometimes he comes downstairs but I hear him coming and find something really boring on TV then suggests he watch it. Five minutes of a documentary about ceramics and he scuttles back upstairs.

halcyondays · 26/07/2020 19:10

I don’t see what the issue is with sleeping until 10a.m in the holidays.

IDidntChoseThePondLife · 26/07/2020 20:35

No Halcyon I don't think 10am is too late during the holidays either, I quite enjoy it to be honest as I can get 2 hours of work in before she surfaces. Not so good on a school day though.
Thanks so much everyone for making me feel a bit more normal!

TimeWastingButFun I find that an episode of "the repair shop" really does the trick!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page