It’s so addictive. We realized they can’t have just a little bit. So no screens bc it makes them insane.
Annoyingly my 4th grader is given a laptop at school so that’s an extra battle

Cold turkey here too. We have never had Wii or switch for my girls (6 and 9) and don't plan to. They have friend similar and don't feel left out. They read, craft, come up with imaginative games, play cards and help with dinner and chores. They get enough screens and games at school at this rate.
I overhead many parents (especially of boys) complain about the time their kids spend playing video games and not wanting to do anything else.

I think I am doing OK with screen time. They get cartoons before school, movies with parents, and a curated video game collection. No Roblox or anything with chat, no tablets, no youtube as its disabled on the tv. If I feel they've played enough I make them turn it off and they do something else.
Even with this liberal policy, my boys (10 and almost 8) get "roasted" for being left out of group chats, roblox, youtube nonsense and so on and are not well included socially. They get along best with the evangelical home school kids in the neighborhood who are similarly sheltered.

Are your kids allowed to use screens on playdates?

Cold turkey! Once they know it's not an option, the asks will go way down. DS9 will now actually sit on the couch in front of the TV (which is off) and across the room from the computer (also off) and just listen to the radio and chat with me (OMG he talks so much!) or just flop down and read a book under the throw blanket. He also has a lot of "tinkering" toys that are good for casual play, like a bag of rubber bands which he can slingshot around, a magnetic darts and target set, connectors building set, dominos, and of course legos. It doesn't even occur to him now to ask to watch TV unless he is sick or ask for computer time unless he needs to check homework.

The only downsides for me are a messier house and having to listen to his chatter. I'm an introvert and am not used to this much sound and so much talking. It would be more pleasant if he were sitting in front of the TV for an hour a day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No screens at all until Thanksgiving Break. If they’ve kept their grades up then it moves to 1 hour per weekend.

I admire this approach but what do they do after school? Yes my kid reads with us before bed and we do homework and he plays with legos but sometimes I have to cook dinner and can’t entertain him!

You shouldn’t be entertaining them? My 8 year old works on homework, reads, plays, or assists me in making dinner. If they won’t leave you alone, let them help!

If they are bored of their toys, have them bring you a pile of toys to give away.

Cold turkey. Kids appreciate simple rules. They'll fuss and be bored for a bit, but then they'll get engaged in a project. My kids do far more creative and worthwhile play if screens are not an option.

If your child age 6 or older truly cannot entertain themselves, that's a problem within them. You can include them in what you're doing, or offer them a chore. I tell mine that if they're bored they can do a specific chore, and amazingly they're no longer bored.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No screens at all until Thanksgiving Break. If they’ve kept their grades up then it moves to 1 hour per weekend.

I admire this approach but what do they do after school? Yes my kid reads with us before bed and we do homework and he plays with legos but sometimes I have to cook dinner and can’t entertain him!

They have to learn to entertain themselves. It’s an adjustment if you’re used to relying on screens. Start by leaving things out - Legos, puzzles, whatever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No screens at all until Thanksgiving Break. If they’ve kept their grades up then it moves to 1 hour per weekend.

I admire this approach but what do they do after school? Yes my kid reads with us before bed and we do homework and he plays with legos but sometimes I have to cook dinner and can’t entertain him!

So he does legos or magnatiles or sticker books or whatever at the kitchen table while you cook.

First day of school implemented no screens during the week rule (we had had them during the week during previous school years). Got shockingly little pushback. As activities got later it got almost stressful for them to fit in - I think they’re actually enjoying having 30 minutes to do whatever else they feel like instead of feeling like they never have open free time

I went cold turkey for my second grader. She accepted it pretty well. She colors more and plays outside more. I also play a lot of board games with her. Harder for me for sure, but worth it.

Ease into it by introducing a new FUN activity or toy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what replaces the screen/TV time?

Outside play, inside play, long baths, dance parties, reading books, arts and crafts…the house is messier but it’s worth it!

Agree that there is more to clean up, but it’s worth it. We went cold turkey on tv and it’s great.

Has anyone found a good happy medium between no tv at all and some tv every week? I’m afraid if we add it in on the weekend it will lead to a power struggle. We also have three children with different preferences, so I feel like it’s only fair to let each child watch a show of their choosing (~25 minutes or so) or ~75 minutes total viewing time.

I think you have to cut it out completely.

It’s best if there’s a natural boundary to mark the new normal. Start of school is a great reset but you’ve already missed that.