How much summer screen time

[Anonymous]

Age 7 can have unlimited educational apps that I have prechosen, but usually get bored after 30 minutes-1 hour and would rather go outside.

[Anonymous]

10 and 12. 30 minutes per day phone or tablet. Time limits and parental controls on kids devices, they stay in kitchen when not being used. If they aren't in kitchen when they should be they don't get any for a week.

[Anonymous]

Age 7, none on weekdays, 2-3 hours on weekend days.

[Anonymous]

Some weeks, a lot. But we also hike and travel and go to the pool and library and have playdates and run errands together and theatre and museums. And other weeks they do day camps or sleep away camps or stay with grandparents and have new experiences. I don't stress out about a few hours a day when there's also so much quality time.

[Anonymous]

My son is in full day camp, so the amount is similar to school year. If there's time for a 30 minute show in the evening, that's fine. Most days there's not time.

On the weekends is about 2 hours a day.

[Anonymous]

I think the key is to program enough activities so that there’s not so much independent down time where they might be on screens.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have been in your shoes and have had to detox. Announce there is a rule change and that each child has 2 hr a day of screen time, and then be tough through the initial whining period. There may be exceptions, but 6 hr a day on the regular isn't great.

Are you in a situation where you are working and the kids are at home (that was my situation at the time)? If so, is camp an option, even some weeks just to break things up/help break the cycle? While many camps are full, some are not (e.g., in Fairfax County, I just saw something that Parktakes camps are 70% full).

Stay strong!

[Anonymous]

Same year round. 45 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon on the iPad.

We will watch TV during lunch and dinner sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Age 7, none on weekdays, 2-3 hours on weekend days.

Weird

Hi, bad parent!

-NP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the key is to program enough activities so that there’s not so much independent down time where they might be on screens.

That's what a lot of parents do.
I disagree, though.

Have scheduled activities, yes, but not too many. It's important for kids to have ample independent downtime where screens are not an option.

Every kid is different. Some do okay with screens 15-30 minutes a day. Mine doesn't. They have trouble transitioning off screens and do better with all or nothing instead of moderation. So we do most days 0 screens and then random days here or there where I turn off the screentime controls and they have access all day or half a day, however much time we're around. Sometimes they use a couple hours on a game and that's okay. Rarely do they spend the whole day but it's their choice. I think only once they watched like several Harry Potter movies in a row and said they felt like a zombie afterwards.

We schedule at least one screen day like this a month so they can schedule friends to join on a game or so FaceTime. Occasionally plans will change (like a friend will cancel a playdate) and they get a bonus screen day out of the blue. But 90 percent of the time they are occupying themselves with activities they choose like books, Legos, crafts, piano, playing outside, taking care of the dog, riding skateboards, building forts, etc. If they are bored I have a big list of chores. So they are rarely bored!

[Anonymous]

DS has an hour or so of YouTube in the morning, after getting dressed, eating, packing his lunch, and brushing his teeth. He has an hour when he gets home from camp to play on his iPad. He is playing basketball this summer, attends camp from 9-4 (a combination of STEM and outside play). He has playdates on the weekends. Overall, he has a good mix of activities and things he is doing. I don't mind the time on screens.

[Anonymous]

I have one nine year old and this is what we are doing this summer:

He needs to complete three chores of my choosing (our household needs differ daily) and then he can have an hour of screens.

Practicing his instrument for 15 minutes gets him 15 extra minutes of screens.

Reading a book for an hour gets him 15 extra minutes of screens.

Doing 2 extra chores of my choosing gets him 15 extra minutes of screens.

Screen time is capped at 2 hours.

2 hours is not insubstantial, but he's a pretty well rounded kid and does a summer sport so he is active enough. It's the best I could come up with and my house is pretty clean!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10 and 12. 30 minutes per day phone or tablet. Time limits and parental controls on kids devices, they stay in kitchen when not being used. If they aren't in kitchen when they should be they don't get any for a week.

What do your kids do with their time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is in full day camp, so the amount is similar to school year. If there's time for a 30 minute show in the evening, that's fine. Most days there's not time.

On the weekends is about 2 hours a day.

Get that fat kid out and about on weekends. Wtf

You must be so ugly. 🤣🤣🤣 Loser!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is in full day camp, so the amount is similar to school year. If there's time for a 30 minute show in the evening, that's fine. Most days there's not time.

On the weekends is about 2 hours a day.

Get that fat kid out and about on weekends. Wtf

Fat kid?" How ignorant. You're a joke.