How much screen time do your kids have each week?

amother

NeonOrange

Wed, Nov 29 2023, 2:25 am

amother Trillium wrote:

My tween and teen spend about 20 hours per week on the computer. Wow.

At least 2.5 hours every school night and Motzei Shabbos, and at least 5 on Sundays. It’s what they live for. They don’t want to go outside. They don’t want to spend time with other humans. Autism + ADHD

My autistic son is the same. He can spend hours on the computer and I don't usually stop him.

amother

Daphne

Wed, Nov 29 2023, 2:29 am

I did over 4 but I'm not ecstatic about it. I have an only child (sif) who needs constant entertainment b"h but has no siblings. When 98% of her day was busy doing stuff, and I need to cook dinner without juggling her at the same time, I've decided I'm okay with her watching something. We try educational apps usually, but we also allow certain shows that we know well. Ultimately everyone is less frazzled. The most I've given her was when she woke up sick erev pesach. It was during the covid era and we were supposed to do seder at ils who are older and one is diabetic so we couldn't go. Plonked her in front of a screen and made the entire Seder, including a keara which we didn't even have and I had to create from scratch. No regrets.

↑ the world's best mom

Wed, Nov 29 2023, 9:26 am

Thanks everyone. I started this thread because one of my kids was upset I don't let him watch videos on school days. Each of my kids gets half an hour on Sundays and half an hour on Fridays, plus they watch everyone else have their turns, but ds insisted most kids get way more time than that. My purpose here was to show him that most mothers don't think it's good for kids to be on screens all day, and most mothers do not allow their kids more screen time than I do. My polls did show those things, but it also showed something else.

I discovered that the largest group of mothers said their kids usually get no screentime at all. The second to biggest group said their kids get over 4 hours a week. There were fewer people who allow smaller amounts of screentime. I pointed that out to ds, and we discussed why that is. It's because once people start allowing kids to use screens, it's so hard to limit it, because screens are so addictive.

He ended up appreciating my points, even though he still would have been thrilled if I had allowed him to watch the 1 1/2 hour video he wanted last night.

amother

Moonstone

Wed, Nov 29 2023, 9:49 am

the world's best mom wrote:

I was going to write that a small amount of screen time can feel very unfair, even to me as an adult. It's way easier to not have any screen time then have a very limited amount. Like having a lick of chocolate but not be allowed to finish the piece.

amother

↑ Linen

Wed, Nov 29 2023, 10:12 am

amother Moonstone wrote:

I can see how it can feel unfair and arbitrary when there's lots of free time and your screen time just gets cut off. But in our house, that doesn't happen. Kids get home around 530 or 630, depending on the day, and they still have to tidy up, eat dinner, take showers, do homework. Plus we learn a bit with the older kids. So it does not feel arbitrary or punitive for the screen time to be limited, it is naturally limited by these other activities whose importance the kids understand.

amother

Mulberry

Wed, Nov 29 2023, 3:10 pm

I wrote over 4 hours, but it isn't unlimited or hard to regulate, it is 45-50 minutes a day (2 shows or 1 show + game/app). Of course, it also depends on age - for example that's what my elementary school age kids gets, but my 9 month old gets zero screen time. No screen time at all before age 2 in our house, after that it is only educational screen time (shows or apps/games) until elementary school, and then a mix of educational and fun at elementary age. However we are in Israel and at all ages only allow English shows/games/apps, in order to help the kids' English. We don't have any kids older than elementary school, so I don't know if or what will change in the future.