How do you limit screen time for your children? It is a hard question, isn’t it! These days a lot of our lives revolve around technology and being online and of course, if we are online a lot it makes sense our children will want to be too. Especially as my work is solely based online it requires me to be using my phone and laptop a lot of the time. I am finding that my girls want to use tablets and phones more and more.
So how do we limit and regulate screen time for our children and know what is best for them? Legal and General recently conducted a survey asking parents about their children’s screen time and they got some really interesting results. I have always thought that when I see children with mobile phones, they, of course, are using their parent’s phone but the survey found that 20% of millennial parents have bought mobile phones for their child before they are 4 years old! Crazy right! This goes up to 30% for tablets as 58% of parents surveyed admit to feeling pressured to buy devices for their children.
Sienna is 4 years old and has just started school full time. I think she is far too young to own her own mobile phone, do you? I feel that right now, both my girls are too young for a smartphone and if possible, I would like them not to have one before starting secondary school. Bella does have a basic phone which she can use for calls if she is not with us but uses an iPad at home which we restrict app wise and time wise.
Of course for travelling having a tablet is very handy
It is hard to know how long is too long and we do encourage our girls to play off the tablets by restricting its use during the week on school days unless it is related to her school work or helps with their learning. We do let Bella use her iPad over the weekend. We find this works for us and helps us to get a balance. The survey found that I am not alone in this and 45% of parents surveyed are also worried how the amount of screen time impacts their child’s school work and 40% are worried that their children are not engaged in the world around them.
Recently we have had to apply the same limits to Sienna. As she is younger she doesn’t understand as Bella does and is wanting to watch more and more videos on her kindle. She has a basic Kindle and the kids YouTube app but she is always wanting to watch videos and increase the time she is spending looking at the screen and using the Kindle. There is definitely a lot of pressure to just hand over the screen and allow our kids to use them more and for longer, I feel. The survey shows I am not alone and 63% of children use a device every single day.
We do try to encourage the girls to get off their devices as much as possible and play with other toys or play games and to get outside when we can. We love to take them both out as they are both active and love going to the park on their scooters to burn off some steam.
Do you agree with this survey? Do you feel pressured to get a tablet or phone for your kids at an early age? How do you limit screen time?
*Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Post with Legal and General.
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It’s really hard, my 7 year old wants to be online all the time and it’s a battle to limit it. She also wants a phone which I’m refusing for as long as possible! #KCACOLS
Oh I am having the phone issue at the moment? I got a super basic phone so she can only call for emergencies but she cannot do anything else with it as it is not a smart phone so it is not a novelty for her anymore! Lol x
I don’t really limit screen time for my two year old, but in fairness he is pretty good at self regulation. My husband just got a new phone so he now has access to the old one when he’s in my bedroom which is a life saver when I’m trying to settle the baby or feed him. After about ten minutes though he gets bored and wanders off to find a toy!
I think at this age that is the time the normally stat in. The problem starts after. My 4 year old is obsessed atm and worries me to be honest. Right now that we are on holidays she can have it more time but when she is back to school next week will be restricted again! 🙂 x
Such a right on topic, thankfully when mine were young tablets were still scarce and designed for adults so it wasn’t an issue. Now as teenagers I have lost the battle with screen time but they do self regulate eventually when they need to work at school and important exams are approaching. #KCACOLS
This is what I hope my girls manage to do when they are older: self regulate their screen time! Fingers crossed they do! 🙂 x
My daughter had a tablet at 5 but only uses it to play educational games that I have to put on there. To her its just another toy and I think that came from introducing it to her early. #KCACOLS
Ahh you are lucky! My 4 year old is obsessed with netflix and YT kids! It is craxy! 🙂
I am struggling with this right now. We were being really good about it, but we have gotten sick a lot since about November, with flu, cold, etc…and when I was sick or the boys were sick they were given their electronics a little more than normal since we were just on the couch. Now I am having to undo all that. I do try to make sure that only play or watch educational games or movies. #KCACOLS
It is a constant battle at home! I have educational games which they play a lot but they just love to watch YT families, especially my youngest or the ones where they play with toys! She can be there hours if I don’t stop her. Of course sometimes is handy to have some time for us as that gets them distracted but it is dangerous if we are not careful xx
My 2 year old granddaughter is addicted to the ipad and has a meltdown when she can’t have it. I think that like everything there needs to be a balance. Moderation. We use television and electronics to keep from having to interact with others sometimes. We are too busy so just and the kid your phone. #KCACOLS
Exactly, moderation is the key here! Try to have a balanced although it is hard to get that sometimes 🙂 x
OMG! A mobile at 4 or 5! Big will be lucky if she gets one by 7th grade! We have tablets, for math games and some word games, and mindless ones too. But tablet time is limited so that their brains can grow and flourish. real PLAY is encouraged, with imagination and creativity. We are all plugged into a slippery slope, I fear. #KCACOLS xoxo
That is the idea although it is hard to get it done. Life is getting too technological these days. I use my mobile for everything (paying at stores, public transport, etc). It is so handy! 🙂 x
This is really interesting – I can’t believe 20% buy a mobile before 4!! It’s so hard in this day and age, but we try and limit for now…… #KCACOLS
Yes I thought that porcentaje was crazy! I won’t give a proper phone to my girls until they are older. My eldest (almost 9) keeps pestering me for a smart phone. She wants an iPhone! And I am like WHAT? No!! Apparently most of her friends have it. It is a horrible social pressure lately! Hard to keep up! X
20% of kids under 4 have mobile phones?! That’s shocking! My two had basic Kindles for Christmas this year (they are 3 and 5 1/2) but they probably only use them every second day, if that. I don’t let them go on them for more than an hour a day, and that’s after reading/homework. I don’t feel any social pressure to get them phones yet but they are still so young and most of their peers haven’t got phones. But each to their own I guess! #KCACOLS
I have always limited my girls screen time. LB is allowed on her tablet Tuesdays, fridays and weekends. She gets 1 hour each time. It getting more difficult with my teen as she has her mobile. I do make sure it’s downstairs with me by 8pm each night. I’m forever moaning to her to get off her phone. #KCACOLS
My son is 7 and asked for a phone for Christmas which we flat out said no to. A few children in his class have them but I really don’t see the need for him to have one yet. He has access to the computer, ipad and kindle at home though and we don’t set firm limits on how long he spends on them, but I think overall we have a good balance with both our children and the time they spend with screens and with doing other things. x #KCACOLS
A really interesting read. We don’t have children yet but I am concerned by the amount of time my husband and I spend on our phones / tablets. I’ve been making a conscious effort to minimise my phone time and spend time outside. I’ve recently been to some lovely places with my friend and I am finding I feel so much better for it.
My nephew is 4 and he has recently gotten a phone for games only as his 8 year old sister has one and wants to be like her.
Do you think it makes it harder to restrict use for younger siblings?
#KCACOLS
Screens were not such a thing until mine started school, so it was realy just tv that I limited, and I did. Have to say no it’s pretty much a free for all, esp as the older 2 (teens) have iphones so what can you do? #Kcacols