Am I the only parent still trying to limit screen time
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Anonymous
I assume you don’t work? |
Anonymous
| Of course you aren’t the only one limiting screen time. My kids are only 4 and 6 and get two hours of screen time each week. |
Anonymous
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We don’t even own iPads.
I have a no tv until after quiet time rule. So no tv until 4pm. We are homeschooling until public schools reopen in person. So no DL either. |
Anonymous
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In some ways, it gets easier as they get older because they are more competent, have longer attention spans, etc. So do not despair. I have a 13yo and an 8yo, both girls. They both have iPads which they are only allowed to use at my discretion. I have them hidden in a place they have not yet been able to find. Basically, iPad can cons out for something such as Famiky Movie Night in Netflux if we are all watching together. 13yo also was able to use it tonight for a Zoom session with her tutor because I was on the laptop with the 8yo while she was doing her HW. Then, she “turns in” the iPad back to me.
It is so much more peaceful in my house this way. They occupy themselves more, they find activities to do, they sustain attention. As my husband says, they’re “not weird.” |
Anonymous
It ALWAYS cracks me up when I hear responses like this. How in the world do people think kids and parents survived before there were iPads etc? It's as if children that grew up before sitting your child in front of a screen to "keep them occupied" was even a thing all died or had parents that could sit next to them and play play doh with them all day or something. It's actually funny to me that people are so far gone that they just can't conceive of children that do other things...like playing with toys? |
Anonymous
While I see your point, I think in this case they are perhaps referencing the pandemic, and the fact that many parents of young kids have lost all or part of their childcare. I know we are using TV to keep the ship afloat now, even tho we almost never did it before. But if your daycare closes, or has reduced hours, or your K kid is suddenly doing DL from home, what are you supposed to do? So yes, in this instance, it actually really does matter whether PP works. A SAH parent is pretty much the only form of childcare that has been blissfully unaffected by Covid. My DH and I have noted several times that we wish I’d still been SAH when the pandemic hit, because it would have simplified everything. But alas, I had just taken a fantastic job that it would be idiotic to leave so soon. So now our kid watches several more hours of TV a week than she used to. C’est la vie. |
Anonymous
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We don't limit, but we just basically don't have.
Which is to say, as far as I'm concerned, my kid (8, only child) has plenty of screen time, but very little of it would be what other parents consider screen time. -Online school (no choice for us) -Helps me shop online occasionally -Zoom with family -Family sends a video or photo, etc. -We've seen a couple of live events online -Kindle paperwhite reader, though she hasn't picked that up in forever We don't have TV or video gaming or anything like that. We both WFH, although my husband has been away intermittently for months, unfortunately (death in the family). No childcare or anything like that. Kid is extroverted and energetic, and we don't do a ton outside the home, so the pandemic itself is a little challenging, but not so much the lack of screen time. When you don't have it, you don't miss it (so far, and for the most part). Instead she does all those other things everyone else says their kids do, but more of them, and for longer at a clip. |
Anonymous
No, DH and I both work but we have a nanny. |
Anonymous
| The only way I can really get them away from screens is play dates (outdoors with masks) and organized activities. It’s so hard. During normal school years we did no screens on school days and two hours on weekends. This is such a struggle. |
Anonymous
So the collective "we're" was you, your DH, and a nanny. Ok 
To answer OP's question: My almost 3 year old son is in playschool M and F 9-12 and then stays for full day 9-4 TWTH. On the full days, he has 0-30 minutes in the morning. On half days, since we are both working from home, he is allowed to watch a movie/Daniel Tiger/Bluey/Tumbleleaf from 1230-130/2. One parent takes Monday PM, the other Friday PM and that parent starts working at 630 so that only 1 hour of leave is utilized. Before playschool/daycare opened up and we were both working with no childcare, he probably got 2-4 hours a day during both of our core hours. He also got 2-3 hours outside so it lessened the guilt. A 2.5 year old still needs to be "supervised" during play and I cant exactly give consistent and attentive work while on the floor/couch/etc. |
Anonymous
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One hour a day for my 12 year old. No video games during the week. No youtube at all unless for school. No social media. Most movies and tv is with us.
He is on the screen for school all the time. I refuse to allow any screen time during dinner or meals. He earns additional screen time for chores on the weekends. However --- and this is a big however, my son is in-person school so I don't have many of the same issues as other parents who are juggling it all right now. |