If you use a reward system for screen time...

[Lovedtodeath]

What is it? or what would you recommend?

 

If you don't use a reward system for screen time and are opposed to it for whatever reason... Keep those thoughts to yourself.

 

Thank you.

[Cricket]

For weekdays, if you practice your instrument for 1 hour, you get to watch TV for 1 hour in the evening.

[BakersDozen]

Not sure if this is what OP means but our dc get screen time only if they are up on time in the morning and complete their work during the day without prompting/nagging/reminding from me. Since I'm not big on screen time at all it doesn't exactly break my heart if they lose it for whatever reason. ;) Just last week one of my dc was using his school time to look at something on YouTube. It just devastated me to ground him from computer use outside of school for a while...just devastated me. :D

[Impish]

I use what I call the Chip Method.

 

Poker chips. Ea colour is worth diff amts of time. White 10 min, red 15, green 20, blue 30.

 

They earn chips for school work and chores.

[LostSurprise]

Chorewars?

 

Anything past base chores can be turned in for video game time. You can set experience points yourself so __ xp = __ min. screen time.

 

One summer you would not believe the extra chores I got for this.

[Acorn Island]

We have 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (i.e. treadmill, biking, etc.) to earn 30 minutes of video game time. (limited to 30 min per day.)

[*********]

If you don't use a reward system for screen time and are opposed to it for whatever reason... Keep those thoughts to yourself.

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

Well that's tellin' it like it is, now isn't it? :D

[Moxie]

Here is another question about his system.

 

Say child#1 earns 30 minutes of TV. Child #2 watches the show also. You tell Child #2 that that was his 30 minutes. He protests because it wasn't a show he picked :glare:. See where this is going? With 3 kids, that works out to 1 1/2 hours of TV/day--too much! How does it work in your house?

[Lovedtodeath]

Here is another question about his system.

 

Say child#1 earns 30 minutes of TV. Child #2 watches the show also. You tell Child #2 that that was his 30 minutes. He protests because it wasn't a show he picked :glare:. See where this is going? With 3 kids, that works out to 1 1/2 hours of TV/day--too much! How does it work in your house?

My kids are 5 years apart, so I think I am okay with her watching his shows, but my husband thinks screen time is bad for her mental health. Period. So I am beginning to question this.

[BakersDozen]

 

Say child#1 earns 30 minutes of TV. Child #2 watches the show also. You tell Child #2 that that was his 30 minutes. He protests because it wasn't a show he picked :glare:. See where this is going? With 3 kids, that works out to 1 1/2 hours of TV/day--too much! How does it work in your house?

Our dc know that if they watch someone else it counts as their time, period. Even if they only watch for 5-10 minutes. It got to the point that other dc were "potlucking" their way through the day, watching one dc or another for a while here and there and ending up with way more than their allotted screen time. It didn't take long for everyone to realize that when I say, "Either don't watch at all or watch and be OK with that as your screen time" that I meant business. Even our 3yo knows the rule. ;)

[Embassy]

# of minutes in heart pumping exercise = # minutes for video/computer games I don't restrict TV since my kids don't desire to watch much.

[Lovedtodeath]

:tongue_smilie:

 

Well that's tellin' it like it is, now isn't it? :D

:lol: Well it is kinda necessary on this board isn't it?

 

I am wondering if breaking it up will work. 3 school subjects= 1/2 hour computer time. 3 more school subjects= 1/2 hour tv. Playing outside or with brother= 1/2 hour tv. Maybe giving a ticket for each. What do you think?

[Mom22ns]

When ds was younger we used a marble system. He started each day with so many marbles. A marble was worth 15 or 30 min (I can't remember). He could earn extra marbles in a variety of ways, working around the yard/house (beyond required chores) or exercising for example. He could also lose them if his behavior wasn't what I required.

 

Tickets, marbles, it doesn't matter what you use. Just make screens a commodity. Then it can be sold, bought, earned, or lost.

[Nestof3]

Looking for ideas here. Thanks for posting.

[jenbrdsly]

Here's how I handle screen time during the summer, during Christmas, and during Easter. I try to keep jazzing things up. Screentime is tied to Afterschooling in our household.

[PIE!]

Here they earn screen time with piano practice. However long they practice is how much screen time they get.

[Lovedtodeath]

Here's how I handle screen time during the summer, during Christmas, and during Easter. I try to keep jazzing things up. Screentime is tied to Afterschooling in our household.

This is great! Thanks!

[5wolfcubs]

This is great! Thanks!

 

I've been using jenbrdsly's system this summer and it has worked very well. I meant to make the clothes pins but never got around to it. Everything is just written in my original notebook as I thought of cleaning (and a few other daily things) I wanted done around the house w/ a number of minutes assigned to each thing. I have 30-40 probably.

 

You have to earn at least 30 min of play time (in order to use the computer) and can earn a max of 2 hours. Generally only DS12 is willing to do that.

 

Some examples of chore/time min:

Feed & water dog/5

Make Mom's bed/5

Wipe table after a meal/5

Take recycling to garage/5

Start a load of laundry/10

Empty dishwasher/10

Sweep a room/10

Send an email to grandparents/10

Greek (DS12)/15

Help wash kitchen floor/15

Play nicely w/ 2yo/15

Mow backyard (DS12)/30

Write a letter & get ready to mail/30

 

They used to write it down to keep track faithfully but now usually keep track in their heads. Sometimes I have a extra one time chore that needs doing, things like "carry all these donation bags to the car" or "help give the dog a bath" -- I just assign a worth.

 

It has worked really, really well this summer. Amazingly well. I want to continue it somehow once school starts but I'd like to make it a little more formal and tied to school.

[Lovedtodeath]

Thank you. I was trying to get an idea of reasonable times.

[Haiku]

My kids can watch tv/use computer after 5 pm as long as they have:

 

a) completed their morning routines with no hassles

b) completed their schoolwork

c) not bickered

 

I don't have a time limit, but in practicality they don't get much time because after dinner they have to clean up and then we hang together as a family. They know that if they don't hold up their end of the bargain, no electronic media time.

 

 

Say child#1 earns 30 minutes of TV. Child #2 watches the show also. You tell Child #2 that that was his 30 minutes. He protests because it wasn't a show he picked :glare:. See where this is going? With 3 kids, that works out to 1 1/2 hours of TV/day--too much! How does it work in your house?

 

When I had timed limits on the tv, my kids knew that if they were in the room while their sibling was watching tv, that was their time, too. If they wanted to watch something different, they had better go somewhere else and find something else to do until it was their turn.

 

This didn't completely eliminate the, "But I didn't want to watch that show!" whining (to which I responded, "Oh, I'm sorry your sibling tied you to the chair and forced you to watch") but the other rule in our home is, "If your tv watching becomes a hassle for me, I eliminate the hassle by eliminating the tv watching."

 

Tara

[Lovedtodeath]

Part of my problem with DD is that she has catastrophic thinking, so if I make it too difficult, she will give up altogether. I need to break it down into easier bits.