Device addiction

[PrincessFiona]

How does device time go for your family? Somehow we all now have phones and the kids have iPads from school. I feel like we spend way too much time on devices. What are your rules? How much time do you all spend on devices?

Kris


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[civilspouse]

Our kids are small so I feel like it's easier to control. My rule is no screen time on school days and on the weekends they usually have screen time in the morning and then again when I'm making dinner. If DH is home though all bets are off and they have way more than I'd like. I don't think screen time is terrible but I definitely notice a change in behavior when they have too much. So really I have no advice but just thought I'd say it's something we struggle with too.


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[OrionGrad]

My guys end up with more screen time when DH is home, too. I wonder why that is? I feel like it should be the opposite.
On a typical weekday I let DS1 play with the iPad before DS2 wakes up in the morning, and then they usually watch an episode of Lion Guard on tv while I'm making dinner at night.

[MDPhDWife]

It's bad in my house. I feel like we are all addicted to our devices and it's a constant struggle. It's gotten bad enough that I often just text the kids when I need to get their attention. However, I still enforce a bedtime even though they are almost 16 and 13. At bedtime, I collect their phones and they charge in my room. Otherwise I'm sure they would never get adequate sleep.


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[SuzySunshine]

My kids are 9&7, they each have a kindle and an iPad. They don't get their kindles during the week, weekends only. On weekdays they have to have their iPads for piano and homework, however they don't get unfettered screen time unless they've completed homework, piano, etc and then they get a max of 30 minutes/day.


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[fluffhead]

It's awful with my teenagers. I have a rule about keeping phones in the kitchen and not taking them to bedrooms, but the rule gets broken so often it's not much of a rule - it ends up being more of a punishment when enforced. I admit I've failed in this.

[rainbabies]

We have issues here, too. iPhones, iPads, laptops. 😑


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[mommax3]

It is bad here, too. One bright spot is that about a year ago, my oldest (22) realized the amount of time he spent on his phone was a big problem for him, so he got off of our plan, got his own plan, and got himself an "unsmart" phone. So maybe there is hope? We have always enforced that the phones charge in our bedroom at night (and iPads and anything else with internet access). The amount of time we spend on our phones makes DH mad. 🙁


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[spotty_dog]

I'm okay with our balance. We don't have strict rules. The kids have to ask permission before getting on an iPad but the answer is almost always yes (on weeknights it's, "Yes if your homework's done.") When they've vegged for a while (usually 20-40 minutes I guess? Sometimes more,) I will say "Okay, that feels like about enough screen time, let's move on," and they generally put it down without a fuss. Anyway we tend to have kids knocking on our door any time we're home with downtime, so that's also a natural limit to the screens! Sometimes I will capriciously insist on "educational" apps or nothing, and sometimes I'll say, "I don't care if you watch Youtube, play Xbox, or do iPad, just stay out of my hair!" LOL.

Fortunately we don't have phones yet for the kids. Dreading that day.

[Thirteen]

A set timer and removing Facebook off of my own phone has changed my life. 😂


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[gcuthbe1]

DH and I are really bad with it. Our plan is no phones at dinner time, no phones at bed time.

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[Ladybug]

If they've done their homework (which they are very diligent about), piano, etc. then it's all theirs. I occasionally have to reign DD11 in during the morning, but she listens and responds. It would feel hypocritical to tell them to stay off. We are constantly on ours. That said, we have a lot of family interacts and laughs. They just are structured they way it was growing up. I feel good about it.

ETA: kicking them outside is easier this time of year and they will start to play together.

[houseelf]

^What ladybug said about weather. In winter, especially late winter, we're all junkies. Spring and Fall, much more moderate because we're outside and lots is happening. By the end of summer, their hard core junkies.

I don't know how to truly navigate this issue. Technology is here to stay so at some level we must teach them to navigate.