You don’t get to police screen time of other people’s children

[Anonymous]

That is all. Spending time with relatives this weekend and so fed up with my SIL trying to dictate when all the kids can have screens and when they can’t. She even took all their devices and hid them at one point, and she made it really awkward when we basically had to demand them back. She is not anti screen all the time - just when SHE decides she wants no screens, which may not be when I decide.

Parent your own kids and not other people’s.

[Anonymous]

Is it her house? Or somewhere else, like a hotel, Airbnb, or another relative's house?

[Anonymous]

If it's at her house, and the volume is out loud for everyone to hear, then yes she's allowed to decide screen time is over.

[Anonymous]

Yep, agree with you. The obsession with regulating / controlling the "screen" usage of others is getting pretty out of hand.

[Anonymous]

Were the kids interacting with anyone or were their parents just letting them hang out online the whole visit because it was easier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's at her house, and the volume is out loud for everyone to hear, then yes she's allowed to decide screen time is over.

To clarify, if the volume was out loud at any location, then yeah it's time to end the screen time, if the parent won't provide headphones.

[Anonymous]

If it's the volume or questionable content that others can see, and the kids parents are not doing their job them some other adult has to step in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's the volume or questionable content that others can see, and the kids parents are not doing their job them some other adult has to step in

Yeah, sounds like she had to parent your kids for you.

[Anonymous]

So look her in the eye, open your mouth, and HANDLE THIS DIRECTLY, LIKE AN ADULT, OP.

Posting a PSA on DCUM? Pathetic.

[Anonymous]

It’s neither volume nor content. She just randomly decides when the kids should “go do something else.” Not her call. Neutral location (neither of our homes but I don’t agree that’s relevant.) These are older kids who were definitely not misbehaving in any way, not 3 year olds.

And I did handle it directly. But just thought I’d throw it out there for any other would-be screen vigilantes. My kids phones have app limits and downtime. Whether or not she (or you) thinks I am a good parent is also irrelevant. Not her call. Even at her house (which we were not.)

[Anonymous]

I feel like this is something I would mutually discuss ahead of time.
I guess depending on age of the kids.

[Anonymous]

Have u not discussed the plan for the day/weekend? It sounds like youre doing separate activities while sharing a house. I don’t totally get this.

[Anonymous]

Go to a hotel OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s neither volume nor content. She just randomly decides when the kids should “go do something else.” Not her call. Neutral location (neither of our homes but I don’t agree that’s relevant.) These are older kids who were definitely not misbehaving in any way, not 3 year olds.

And I did handle it directly. But just thought I’d throw it out there for any other would-be screen vigilantes. My kids phones have app limits and downtime. Whether or not she (or you) thinks I am a good parent is also irrelevant. Not her call. Even at her house (which we were not.)

Get off your phone and go parent your children. You are fooling exactly no one. No, you did not handle it directly, or you would have put that in your original post. You are spineless.

[Anonymous]

Ages????
You are right that people don’t dictate screen time rules. It does not matter whether you are guest in their home. It’s obnoxious.

But pleasantries require both parties to do their share. If your kid is always on their screen when visiting family, that’s weird too!

I wouldn’t be happy if I saw that, and I would say something to them or remove the phone. But it depends on the age. Are we talking about 10 year olds or teenagers?