What electronic devices do your dc have and how do your regulate their screen time?

[JadeOrchidSong]

Ds9.8 wants to buy an iPod. I am not very happy about it. He uses my iPad for games, but at least he has to ask me for permission. He also uses a laptop for his writing assignments. However, he sneaks in some game time when I am not paying close attention. He has 30 minutes Minecraft time every day. He and his brother 11.9 also watch CNN student news, Chef John cooking show, and Brainpop. They also write Minecraft comic books and do their youth digital as well as scratch on the laptops. They each have a kindle for reading books. Now he wants an iPod to listen to music and audiobooks. I am really hesitant about getting one for him. Dh already said yes. But I want them to go out and play instead of using an electronic device of one form or another several hours a day. So what should I do?

What do you do when your dc have an iPod and kindle and laptop to use? Please give me some ideas and suggestions. I really don"t know what to do. Thanks!

[jmama]

I would let him have it.  Listening to music or audio books can be done while moving :001_smile:

[skeeterbug]

You can get an ipod that is only for music or audio, no screen. Would that suit?

[Arcadia]

. However, he sneaks in some game time when I am not paying close attention.

...,,Now he wants an iPod to listen to music and audiobooks.

I will get the basic iPod Classic or the iPod nano instead of the iPod touch. No temptation of games or internet surfing.

 

My boys each have an iPad, a Kindle Fire HDX, laptops. They watched YouTube that have foul language and their games led them to ads so they aren't allow electronic access unless in plain sight.

 

My boys know how to connect to all the free wifi hotspots like McDonalds, Starbucks so we do watch where they surf. The YMCA we go to has free wifi but blocks YouTube so less one worry.

 

ETA:

Games in general make my boys moody so we restrict game time. They get to play chess and Wei Qi (Go) on their kindles.

 

ETA:

I know friends and ex-colleagues who are gaming addicts to the extend of neglecting family (wife and kids). There are always outliers.

[kewb]

When mine were younger and using electronics when they were not supposed to I took the electronics.
Phones and ipods go on the charging station in the kitchen during school hours or any hours they were not supposed to be using them.
Dh and I would turn off the wifi at 10 pm.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We have a desktop, iPad that 10 yo and 7 yo use. My 13 yo also has a pod and x-box. The 16 yo has an iPod. Other than telling them to turn it off and go play if it seems like time that is our only rule.

[Heather in Neverland]

All 3 of my children have their own desktop computer and their own iPad. If chores and schoolwork are done and grades remain at 3.5 GPA and above, they can play on them as much as they want. They learn to self-regulate and there is no mystique or forbidden fruit aspect so they have no need to sneak around to get more screen time. It works for us. YMMV.

[Pawz4me]

At your boys' ages each of ours had their own computer, TV and gaming system.  IIRC they each got iPods around 12 and smart phones around 15.  We've never limited screen time in any way.  We're firm believers in that the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it becomes.  We've never had a problem with our boys self regulating.

[Carrie12345]

We have a LOT of electronics. I don't even want to list them!

 

I don't think I have very strict regulations on them.  They're all removed at bed time.  Most can't come out until after school time. (A few are used *for school time, here and there.)  Most are shared devices, so that's limiting in itself.

[kiwik]

In our house we have two oldish PCs (XP), my phone and kindle and a cheap 7"tablet. We are also being given a small notebook (also XP). My phone and the tablet are currently connected to WI fi but due to a glitch nothing else can be yet. For now we use a t stick on one of the PCs if we need to. My kids are young but ds7 needs to be watched as he can become obsessed. Our house is small so I can keep an eye and ear on him anywhere. The PCs are in the kitchen and everything else stays in the lounge at night.

[DawnM]

My kids have tablets and DSs each.  They also have computer time, but they are not THEIR computers, they are ours.

 

We don't limit screen time if they are finished with everything else, but DH wants to limit it a bit more than we are.

[bolt.]

My kids have access to TV (with DH's various game systems and Netflix) an old laptop with kiddie games, a ds, a leapster, and occasional use of my laptop.

 

They can ask for 20 min of screen time any time, but I tend to not say "yes" once or twice a day. (And it's only if their stuff is tidy, etc.) They use a timer and listen for the end if their 20 min. In addition, if stuff is tidy and the table is set, as soon as I start making supper, they can have screen time until supper is ready.

 

They have an old iphone (functionally an iPod) without any Internet for Audiobooks. It is set up to not do anything else.

 

If they misuse screen time, they loose access to that item for a month. They are very careful not to push limits.

[kewb]

I envy those of you whose children had/have no challenges self regulating.  

[Gentlemommy]

My dd's (3, 6, and 9) do not have any of their OWN electronics. Well, dd9 has a basic kindle, but since it literally only has books, I count it as a book.

My dh and I have a first generation iPad that has been dubbed the kids iPad. They have to ask before using it, and may only use it for one hour per day. We each have a later generation iPad that is ours. Kids only use mine for school-extra math, spelling quiz app, ect. We have a desk top, which the kids can use for their one hour of screen time (Netflix) or school, they do sheppardsoftware on it, or I help them look things up. They don't not access the internet without me sitting with them. They do not play any games online on any device, mostly because they don't know or ask for them and I don't know anything about them lol. We both have iPhones, not sure which number they are lol. I stock mine with songs and stories that we listen to in the car. Kids do not use my phone without asking, and even then I rarely say yes. I don't have many apps for them, maybe 3-4 on there.

Total, my kids are allowed one hour of screen time per day, not including the kindle books. My 9 year old is asking for an iPod so she can text and play games, and I am not allowing it yet. No need really.

[swellmomma]

ds16 has a 3DS and an xbox 360.  dd15 has a DSi and a laptop.  ds11 has a DSi and a small tv that he watches videos on.  DD6 has a "new" DS lite she just got this weekend (uncle's old one) and a leap pad.  The 2 youngers have a computer that was built for them but is currently out of commission until I have time to actually sit down and get rid of the virus on it.  They all use my desktop and often my ipod as well.  As for regulating.  I don't have a limited amount of time across the board.  Oldest uses the most, youngest the least.  When I need them to do something else I tell them to turn it off and get said thing done, but during their freetime, or while I am at work I let them have at 'er.  That means somedays they get 20 minutes and some days they get 10 hours (when I am at work typically).  Too much I am sure but whatever.

[AmandaVT]

DS has an ipod nano that is loaded with music and audiobooks. As a family, we have an ipad (DH) a Kindle Fire (me), an xbox 360 and a wii. DS gets 30 min of game time most days - he can choose between kindle free time, wii, minecraft with daddy on the xbox or pbs kids on my laptop. He also can watch a little TV before dinner and occasionally a show in the morning when he gets up. He has an easy time regulating himself with TV - has no problem watching a 30 min show and then finding something else to do. He has a very hard time regulating himself with any kind of game, so we need to keep tighter tabs on those for now.

[Heather in Neverland]

I envy those of you whose children had/have no challenges self regulating.

I want to clarify that it's not that my kids have had no trouble at all self-regulating but that, over time, they have learned the skill of self-regulation. You're not born with it. You have to learn it. Right now my 16yo is barely interested in gaming at all. He's had pretty much free reign of videogames throughout his life and now he's just over it... Bored with it all. Now he's more into mixing music and making movies, etc. My 10yo loves video games and plays them a lot but when it's time for bed or time to do his work he gets off without argument (because he knows when his obligations are done he can go back to it).

 

We have friends who are VERY strict about screen time with their kids and their kids all act like crack addicts when it comes to video games. They sneak around every way possible and find every way imaginable to get their hands on a video game. They sneak off to the mall and sit in the Apple store for hours and hours playing on the floor model computers and iPads. One of their teenage boys has been getting up in the middle of the night, downloading a game onto the computer, playing it, then deleting it before his parents wake up. That's not a problem with self-regulating. That is someone who has never been taught HOW to self-regulate at all. It is a learned skill.

[SKL]

My kids have a ds (they had 2 but one was left on an airplane).  They play the ds off and on (not daily) when they have down time.  I have no problem taking it away if they need to be doing something better.

 

They have mp3 players which have almost no music in them and are usually in my room waiting to be recharged.  :P  (I keep promising to add more music etc. but haven't gotten around to it.)  These also play videos on a tiny screen, but again, hardly have any vids on them.

 

We have one TV but don't use it much.  This year I am not generally allowing it on school days except for Friday nights.  We don't use it much on the weekend, either, and when we do, it's with permission.  It's always been a "with permission" privilege and I see no reason to change that now.  :P

 

My kids do not have a computer, but they get occasional access to an adult's computer.  Sometimes for educational purposes, sometimes for fun (to watch short videos).  They have not been introduced to computer games other than Math Blaster (on CD) and whatever the school may have.  I am in no hurry to get them into internet gaming.

 

My kids have a CD player and lots of CDs.  I chose most of the CDs.  :P  Some of them are audiobooks.  They have free access to this technology (when they are home and awake), assuming they aren't supposed to be doing something else.

 

They have a few electronic toy-games (think Simon and Bop-It) and kiddy learning laptops, which get used occasionally the same as every other toy.

 

They use computers and probably ipads at school every day, as part of the curriculum / infrastructure.

 

My kids rarely get access to my iphone.  We do not have an ipad in the house.  So that's about it.

[wapiti]

My six kids have a PC to share among themselves - that is how it's self-regulated LOL. Not that I don't have to step in from time to time... I have a PC that will be used if I am not on it. I also have a first-generation iPad and a mini ipad. Dd13 will get a school ipad this week. I try to limit my ds11s because they tend to hog the PCs, but I try to be flexible about it, depending on the circumstances. They know that if they abuse the privilege, they will be kicked off for even longer.

[Joanne]

I have 3 kids, all teens or adults. We've lived through the generations of creeping and progressive technology.

 

My "default" is minimal censorship and rules. I don't have any kids prone to screen addiction (but I have had them in my daycare when I owned them, and in my private practice.)

 

My rules when they were younger were: school had to be done, chores done, and if it was a nice day, the time was limited to 1/2 an hour and then they had to "go play." Another rule is that you have to stop without complaint when I said "stop." I also was not a fan of electronics when groups were involved - I hated having one kid play and a pile of passive watchers.

 

I haven't "had" to intervene in years and years. I've noticed my boys tend to hyper-X-Box when a new and popular game comes out but that dwindles to a reasonable amount within a week.

 

[kroe1]

Ds9.8 wants to buy an iPod. I am not very happy about it. He uses my iPad for games, but at least he has to ask me for permission. He also uses a laptop for his writing assignments. However, he sneaks in some game time when I am not paying close attention. He has 30 minutes Minecraft time every day. He and his brother 11.9 also watch CNN student news, Chef John cooking show, and Brainpop. They also write Minecraft comic books and do their youth digital as well as scratch on the laptops. They each have a kindle for reading books. Now he wants an iPod to listen to music and audiobooks. I am really hesitant about getting one for him. Dh already said yes. But I want them to go out and play instead of using an electronic device of one form or another several hours a day. So what should I do?

What do you do when your dc have an iPod and kindle and laptop to use? Please give me some ideas and suggestions. I really don"t know what to do. Thanks!

Sorry, I did not read the other replies.

 

My children and I have been video game addicts forever, the kids since birth, me for over 30 years. The first study I remember reading showed gamers made better surgeons. None of us are surgeons, but two of us use scopes, ultrasound guidance, and sometimes fluoroscopy. I do not know if the games over the years made us better at this technology, but perhaps. The surgeons I know will tell you video gamers had an easier time learning laparoscopy. I heard a similar tale from two pilots, but I have never seen any studies or articles for other fields.

 

The other study I read showed gamers were more analytical at younger ages. This benefit disappeared by the older teen years. It also applied more if the games were challenging and frequently changed. Those who played the same game to monotony did not get a benefit.

 

I do not limit video game time in my house. Perhaps I should. I do require that kiddos do school, practice a musical instrument, and compete in one sport. Those demands alone keep each kiddo busy enough that I never worry about video game time. But I do admit, the infrequent day off may find all of us glued to a new game for 20 hours straight.

 

My DD14 is begging to go to WalMart right now because Sims4 is being released today. She has to do school, then 4 hours of dance classes, then I will probably take her to WalMart. It is not a game I like for her to play, but she loves the building, design type games. Right now I am addicted to Disney Infinity. We use all game systems and formats.

 

The one thing I will not let my kiddos have, however, is an IPod. It is not because of music and games, it is because of the ear plugs. I am more afraid of hearing loss. I do not let the kiddos use head phones or ear buds on any devices. When someone walks into my family room and hears 4 games going at once, I am sure he would think the ear phones are safer. Lol.

 

(Thoughts from an addict.)

[bettyandbob]

my older two have had computers and dumb phones for years. They both had phones by age 11 or 12. Dumb phones so they can only text. Phones are not an issue.

 

When oldest was 15 or 16 we went through a period of removing internet access at 11 pm at night. Oldest is 19 now. I don't attempt to regulate him.

 

In addition to dumb phone and laptop, dd has a 3DS. I've never felt the need to regulate her.

[Georgiana Daniels]

We are old-school. The kids have no electronics except for ancient DSIs. I know the time is coming when we'll have to usher them into this century, but we're putting it off as long as possible.

[HSinNH]

My girls both have ipods that have been banned from use Monday-Friday. They were constantly in their hands. It was annoying. I tried letting them have them whenever they wanted this past summer so they could learn to self-regulate. It still didn't work They were banned again 9-6 during the summer.

 

The things are addictive, at least for my kids. I wish I never would have let the girls get them (they bought the ipods with their own money earned from babysitting and running a lemonade stand).

[ChristusG]

All three of my girls each have their own Kindle Fire HD's, as well as their own iPod Touches. We have a shared Wii U, as well as two shared computers. DH and I have our own iPads that the kids usually do not use.

 

My kids cannot self regulate. If I let them, they'd have their Kindle Fires in their hands all the time, or else my 10 year old would be on our computer using Minecraft. From about 9:30-3:30, there are no electronics allowed (except for the 2 year old....I let her have some screen time while I school the older kids). Then I do regulate in the evenings as well. It just depends on what we have going on at the time. This week, they have no electronics at all due to constant fighting and arguing with each other. I do see that Minecraft tends to make my 10 year old moody and snappy.

[Wheres Toto]

My kids each have an Ipod nano, so only music, their own desktop computers (we used to do online school), and tv's in their rooms.  They used to have Leapsters but outgrew them, Ds has a very old Gameboy Color (was his older sisters when she was around 7).  In addition, dh and I have laptops, there's a family Wii in the living room, and I have a Pantech tablet that barely works.   I also have an Ipod touch, an Iphone (for work) and a Android smartphone.

 

The kids aren't allowed on the computers until after 4pm AND all school, chores, and outside activities are done.  They are off at 7 for the night and dinner happens somewhere in there.  Some days they get 3 hours, some days none.

[Jann in TX]

My dd is 12 and self-regulates.  She has access to a laptop, I-touch (my old I phone), my Ipad, her own TV (no cable but can view Netflix and Amazon), 3 or 4 different gaming systems (DH is an electronics junky!!!)...  Occasionally she will spend a bit more time on her laptop than I think she should-- in that case I usually invite her to join me doing something non-electronic (lately we have been playing rounds and rounds of Mastermind and Monopoly Deal).  We do have family game night a few times each week to give us ALL time away from electronics.  We also take a family walk every evening after dinner.

 

Even with my older dds I never had to regulate screen times-- and as you can see from above they have had access to just about everything out there.

 

I guess I've been lucky.

[J-rap]

So much has changed since my children were young (youngest graduated from high school last year), that I'm probably not the best one to answer!  They were THE generation when all of this new technology was just happening.  My son was the first person in our entire town to have an iPod!  (He was 16.)  There were no iPads, iPhones, Kindles, or even laptops.  Each household has just one desktop, if anything.

 

BUT, our rules were:  1/2 hour on the desktop computer every 4 hours.  They could do whatever they wanted on it during that half hour.  (Within reason, or course.)  We had it in a public place.  iPods in those days were only for music, so they could listen to that all day long if they wanted.  We didn't put a limit on that.  Exceptions to the desktop computer usage was schoolwork, of course.  There was no limit for that.

 

Everything is so different now;  so we would probably have to come up with different rules.  Weird, because my son (oldest child) is 25 now so really only 9 years ago was when everything really started.