momofkhm Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 DH went out yesterday and bought a Wii. So now they have the option of computer, TV and Wii. I want to limit it for them. Right now they ask about tv and computer game time, but the girls check their email and that time isn't counted. Now I think it should be. well, I've always thought it should be, but now I'm actually going to buckle down. They do self regulate fairly well. If I tell them 15 minutes each on computer games, then they do pretty much stick to 15 minutes. Of course when you've got your brother or sister there making sure you don't get a minute more than you are suppose to... I'm thinking one amount of screen time a day that includes all three and then they can parse as they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 My kids are 12, 8, 6, and 2. The general rule of thumb is no screen time during weekdays. That doesn't include educational computer games (like Singapore's Rainbow Rock) or a quick check of the email. On the weekends we don't have any imposed limits, but I usually kick them off if they're turning into zombies. My kids would not do well with sharing their screen time. Someone would feel slighted and someone would magically end up with more time than the others. We have a 20 min per turn rule for the Wii and they're allowed to pool their turns together to play for 40 min if they're playing a 2 player game. That's about the extent of our time sharing. I've also had to completely ban the Wii at times. One ds in particular tends to go overboard and only want to play; everything else is boring. That's when I turn it off and leave it off for a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanG Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 We have no limits, as long as they're getting their work done, spending time with their friends, and spending enough time outdoors and/or moving around. 15 minutes of playing a game wouldn't work here - we play games that take 10 or 15 hours to complete, and we normally play in 2 hour increments each time. My son at this point enjoys his computer games so much that he doesn't watch tv at all any more, and my daughter watches tv mainly to pause it and draw the characters. I'm sure I could get my son to spend more time reading if he wasn't on the computer 2 or 3 hours at night, but frankly, I don't think reading is "more" beneficial than the games he's playing, nor would sitting in his room playing legos. I see it as another way to work his brain, and that's a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 There should be RULES about how long people can spend on the computer!!!!!! (Just not for me! ;)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I tried strict time limits, and well, I didn't want to keep track. I'm lazy that way. So our rule is no screen time during Public School hours. Then, when the kids' friends come home from school, they usually want to spend time with them, so the screen time is naturally limited. They are spending more time on it now, because it is really hot outside so they are playing inside more. Yesterday Luke divided his time pretty equally between video games, water balloon fights, swimming and Legos. They watch a movie about every other day. We don't have tv reception at all, and we're not spending a lot of time on the computer yet, so those aren't issues here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 There should be RULES about how long people can spend on the computer!!!!!! (Just not for me! ;)) Mindy, I've been meaning to talk with you about this.... :lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabeth in IL Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 We have no limits, as long as they're getting their work done, spending time with their friends, and spending enough time outdoors and/or moving around. We are the same. They don't have much time to play during the week when they have school work to do and when their father is at home. I do hate to have the TV, computer, and DS going all at the same time in the same room!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 when our boys were early teens..was they had to read to earn screen time. Every half hour of reading counted as a half hour of screen time. It couraged summer reading... You could count chore time, reading time, whatever works for you. I HATE charts and keep tracking and all that, so I am sure however we kept track was quite simple...but I am not sure what I did.. You could cut up some paper into small pieces, or buy some tickets and they put tickets in the bucket when they earn the time and they take them out when they redeem them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 If we don't the kids would turn into zombies. We give them 30 minutes a day of each screen, if they want it. Since we imposed this, they rarely watch tv anymore. We have strict paramaters for tv viewing as well so they're basically down to their movies which they've watched a hundred times. Another thing that happened since imposing the rule: they play with eachother more. It's a wonderful thing to see them playing happily for hours with no intervention from me.:) I am still surprised at how easy it was to take these screen-addicted girls and make them do something else. Now, I'll offer, "Go watch a movie," and they scoff at me and go play with eachother instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 We keep video games off Mon.-Thurs., including hand held ones. We allow computer time for emails - about 1/2 hr. or so for the teens. They don't use *my* computer at all, though. During the summer I give about 1/2 hr-1 hr of hand held games per day. I usually let them have video games for a few hours per day when it is first new and after chores/school work. Then after about 10 days I let them know that we are going back to the basic rule of them being off Mon.-Thurs. This way, Friday nights they can play group games for "family game night" and they really enjoy it and they also know that if they argue, it's over... That said, there were several months where my boys, ages 11-14, got into Sid Meier's Civilization game on the computer. They would play for hours. I think I posted about that time that they would get their math books and do math when it wasn't their turn and they'd tell me "how much they were getting done"! They'd try any way to get me to let them play and they did it as a 2-3 people group and get along so well and they'd tell me all about history... like I said, anything to keep playing! I do let them play that after homework in the evenings... Bee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Normally an hour each of Nintendo DS and TV time on every weekend day; nothing from Monday to Friday. In the summer holidays they get an hour of screen time per day. They are allowed additional computer time for emails/research. We also watch some documentaries together on TV. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Mine are allowed 2 hours of total screen time daily (tv, Wii, computer, gameboy). Our general rule is no screen time during school time. They generally use 1 hour in the late afternoon for computer or Wii games and an hour in the evening for TV. This works well for us. I have two boys ages 9 and 11. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 We have no limits, as long as they're getting their work done, spending time with their friends, and spending enough time outdoors and/or moving around. 15 minutes of playing a game wouldn't work here - we play games that take 10 or 15 hours to complete, and we normally play in 2 hour increments each time. My son at this point enjoys his computer games so much that he doesn't watch tv at all any more, and my daughter watches tv mainly to pause it and draw the characters. I'm sure I could get my son to spend more time reading if he wasn't on the computer 2 or 3 hours at night, but frankly, I don't think reading is "more" beneficial than the games he's playing, nor would sitting in his room playing legos. I see it as another way to work his brain, and that's a good thing. Same here. If you only give them 15 minutes thats barely enough time to get into the game. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle T Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 DS would spend 24/7 on the computer or Wii if he could. He doesn't watch much TV, and when he does, it's usually something like the History Channel or CNN, so I don't worry about TV at all. If I feel DS has been on the computer too long, I tell him to go find something else to do. Since DH gets bugged by too much screen time, we normally have Thursday and Sunday as non-computer days. DS hates those days! Michelle T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wilhelm Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 My kids like to watch History/Discovery/ etc. during the day and I don't limit that if school work is getting done. I use ENUFF program to limit their computer time..... right now an hour a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubermomto5 Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 we don't watch much tv and never had so it's never something they think of, and we don't have video games, but they do love the computer/internet. so, i give them each coupons at the beginning of the week worth x amount of minutes. for the 4yo, thats 15 mins a coupon and he gets 3, then upward for each age. then if they have finished all daily responsibilities they may turn in a coupon. if no one is waiting their turn, they can use a second coupon but no more. they are responsible for not losing coupons and for alerting mom that they want the computer later. sometimes they have to arm wrestle me for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedbel Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 We do not have television and only watch DVD's occasionally. My boys love to play computer games though and would become zombies if we let them so we only let them play on weekends. Since they know they can only play on weekends they find other stuff to do during the week and it all balances out nicely:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Sadly I'm terrible at this. As long as school is done, chores are complete I let him play his Wii and watch TV for several hours if he wants. But lately he plays his Wii 30 minutes daily, watches 1 -30 min show on TV and plays outside for hours with his friends. So I guess it's no big issue. Maybe when winter comes we will have to come up with a better time schedule but for now..he's an outdoor boy. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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