Anonymous wrote:Well sometime between now and 3-4 years from now you'll have to allow him to learn for himself the consequences of poor decision-making. The worst you could do is protect him from all decision-making (by making the decisions yourself) and then drop him off at college.

This is so true. OP here.

On the one hand I've heard that teenage brains are not yet wired to take consequences into account. And he WILL fail, I'm afraid, without constraints.

On the other hand, he needs to start experiencing the consequences so he can develop that skill, even if it means his grades plummet and his college choices suck.

Man when I was 14 all I did was drink alcohol and have sex. Screen time and homework were the least of my parents worries.

A normal part of our lives is no door and no screen time during the week. Ours decided not to do his homework this weekend so his snow day was no screen time until homework was done. He could *gasp* do his homework, read, sulk around the house, etc. today. He choose to sulk. My favorite is locking down the wi-fi. Do your homework and you too can have the password.

Sorry, OP. I feel your pain. Someone failed to tells to space mine better so I wouldn't have two boys in early high school at the same time. They are idiots.

Anonymous wrote:You sound rigid. Why do you ban screen time? That's so weird.

Really, you can't possibly fathom any reasons why parents might limit or restrict or ban screen time during the week? There are many reasons why parents set rules that the kids don't agree with. It is okay if kids get mad and disagree, they need to see parents standing firm. That isn't weird - to most people it is part of parenting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We ban screen time on weeknights. Kid is 14.

When homework is done, we talk about it, and sometimes say "yes" if it isn't that late.

Yes, if only he could see that he would get more leeway if he earned our trust. I didn't have such restrictions when I was a kid, and I don't relish enforcing restrictions with him. I wish we could just let him be, but he would do nothing but screentime if we did.

My cousin lets her boys have unlimited screentime and they are basically on those screens all the time, to the point we didn't even see them all Thanksgiving day except during the meal.

Earn your trust? What did he do to lose your trust...or did he ever have it?

Don't be a snot.

"Did you do your homework"

"Yes"

(turns out not true)

Repeated enough times, and my trust went.

Truth is, life is better without screen time weeknights. The tv ban is on all of us, and we like it.

Well sometime between now and 3-4 years from now you'll have to allow him to learn for himself the consequences of poor decision-making. The worst you could do is protect him from all decision-making (by making the decisions yourself) and then drop him off at college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You won't let your teenager have screen time on a snow day?? I feel sorry for your son.

+1. No wonder he's mad... How does he do his homework without screen time?

OP here. He had school today and most likely will tomorrow, it's only going to be 2-4 freaking inches. His homework is not on the computer, and if it were he would surf the web instead of doing it. He freely admits he has no willpower to resist the siren call of computer games and you-tube so that's why he agreed to this plan. I understand your kids do their homework nicely and then get screentime but my son isn't like that. Maybe I should just leave him to his own devices (see what I did there?)

At son's HS, his campaign for student government was all online. I asked, "where are the posters?" Things have changed.

A teenage with no school the last 3 days and no school tomorrow isn't permitted screen time? And can't even talk about it until Thursday? Dear God.

Anonymous wrote:You won't let your teenager have screen time on a snow day?? I feel sorry for your son.

+1. No wonder he's mad... How does he do his homework without screen time?

All my kid's homework is on the computer, all assignments, communications from clubs/teams/teachers

You won't let your teenager have screen time on a snow day?? I feel sorry for your son.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We ban screen time on weeknights. Kid is 14.

When homework is done, we talk about it, and sometimes say "yes" if it isn't that late.

Yes, if only he could see that he would get more leeway if he earned our trust. I didn't have such restrictions when I was a kid, and I don't relish enforcing restrictions with him. I wish we could just let him be, but he would do nothing but screentime if we did.

My cousin lets her boys have unlimited screentime and they are basically on those screens all the time, to the point we didn't even see them all Thanksgiving day except during the meal.

Earn your trust? What did he do to lose your trust...or did he ever have it?

My sister used to slam her door. After a warning, my father removed the door to her room for 24 hours. She never slammed her bedroom door again.

Anonymous wrote:We ban screen time on weeknights. Kid is 14.

When homework is done, we talk about it, and sometimes say "yes" if it isn't that late.

Yes, if only he could see that he would get more leeway if he earned our trust. I didn't have such restrictions when I was a kid, and I don't relish enforcing restrictions with him. I wish we could just let him be, but he would do nothing but screentime if we did.

My cousin lets her boys have unlimited screentime and they are basically on those screens all the time, to the point we didn't even see them all Thanksgiving day except during the meal.