How Much Screen Time/videogames Do Your Kids Get?!

They can play whenever they want. I watch TV and read. They play games. Hubby reads on his phone. Everyone has their own thing they like to do to relax and have fun.

I'm like Katie D. and Mamazita - we don't restrict as long as everything else gets done. And homework always comes first.

I didn't really limit it at all. As long as my kids were doing well in school, keeping up with chores and being otherwise socially and physically active they could do what they want in their free time. Same goes for my husband, he LOVES video games and plays a lot. As long as it's not getting in the way of his work, health or family commitments why shouldn't he be allowed to play/relax as he wants?
I would hate it if someone told me I was only allowed to do X hours of reading, or cooking, or crafting, or whatever because *they* thought it was enough and didn't approve of my chosen activity.
ETA: and btw, my son played WAY more on the xbox than either one of my girls and he is by far the better student and reader of the three, currently studying Computer Science at great four year university :-)

I don't limit it. As long as homework and reading is done, clarinet is practiced, chores are done and grades are good, my 9 yr old can have a much screen time as she wants. She's a busy kid during the week so on the weekend if she wants to stay in her pj's and have a veg day, it's fine with me!

They get almost as much as they want. I do not count computer and video time together....But my kids usually spend between 2-3 hours a day total.

I treat media no differently than I treat a book. In fact, I frequently have to kick my oldest out of her room if I think she's reading to much (kids do need time outside running around, after all).

Since I do not limit my time at a computer or a TV (I watch maybe 3 hours of TV a week), I figure it probably isn't in my place to tell them they only get X amount. They see me at my computer or ipad or iphone all day long....after all. And they also see me reading, and cooking, etc. It's life, and every activity has it's place and natural limit.

Weekdays: On an average, right now, it's about 20 minutes of media time (tv or video games) two or three afternoons a week. It's the very last thing we choose-- homework and chores come first, playing together if we have time. Honestly, by the time we come home, have snack and then get the other stuff done, we're getting close to dinnertime.

Weekends: he might watch a few episodes of a cartoon on dvd or play a video game for 20 minutes... once again, we put fun and social stuff first, park visits and hikes, etc.... media time is what we do when we've done lots of other fun stuff. He doesn't ask about it too much-- but take his Legos away and you'll hear all about it. WAY more than the tv!

i look back in amusement now at how much i angsted over this. by the time they hit their mid-teens i was over fighting the battle, and made it 'so long as your schoolwork and chores are done.'
they're both in their 20s now, and still avid gamers, especially my younger who is really, really good at 'em. but his schedule right now with working and taking science-major university classes leaves him very little time for it.
my kids were both good students, played lots of sports, and had sufficient non-screen time. i wistfully wanted them to fall in love with gardening or horseback riding or swimming or something that would have had them outside more, but in retrospect they did fine. not as much 'going out to play' as i did when i was a kid, but we didn't have screens nearly as interesting back in those days.
it sounds as if your approach is sensible. can you negotiate with him on how much more he wants?
khairete
S.

Mine usually don't get screen time during the week. We played a video game with them last night for 15 min though. Weekends they get more, usually an hour each day for minecraft with the neighbors and a couple of cartoons. Maybe surprise him after he does a great job on homework or chores with an extra 15 min. screen time. Might be a fun perk for him and reinforce positive behavior.

Mine are 8 and 9 and aren't into video games (girls) but do watch TV Saturday mornings an hour to 2 hours max. Sundays either none or an hour in the mornings. Each evening they get ~45 min of TV before they go up to get ready for bed and read at least 1/2 hour. My husband objects a bit but I watched more than that growing up plus my best friend had Atari and I did very well in school and went on to graduate school, played sports etc. I figure I as an adult need total "downtime" every day, why don't kids? So as long as my kids have gotten some exercise, done their homework, played a little, and some days practiced music, I think some TV/screen time is fine. My sister is more liberal with TV and her oldest is straight A's in a tough high school. If your son is playing sports and has homework and does chores, he's a busy kid! Mine don't do chores and I still feel they're busy and need to de-stress. So if 20 min a day would help him unwind, I would let him do that. I should caveat by saying I don't have boys so don't really get the video game thing. Not sure if it kind of hypes up kids vs relaxes them.

Maybe a bit more during week is ok?

My 8 yr old son has plenty of video game players but on his free time he'd rather hang out with his friends. If he does have screen time, its usually 1 hr of video games and a 2 hr movie, on Fri, Sat and Sun.

None on a school night. There just isn't any time between homework, church, scouts, after school activities like the art and computer clubs, basketball/soccer practice, now baseball practice and flag football season is starting, and martial arts. He's making straight As and is never a behavior problem wherever he goes, so I'm guessing his limited screen time is doing some good.

Weekends are filled with sports games, birthday parties, playdates, cub scouts, church on Sunday, and a dinner or party on either Sat or Sun, not to mention house chores. So there isn't a lot of time for screens on the weekends either.

On week days I limit video games to one hour after school one day a week. They usually watch between 1/2 hour and 1 hour of TV each night before bed. On the weekend I don't really limit screen time, except by keeping them busy with other activities, such as family outings, sports, church etc. If we are home on the weekend and homework and chores are done, then they are free to play (although it is not often that they would have time for more than 2 hours on any given weekend day).

During the week my kids are not allowed to play video games. They do play on educational websites that have been recommended by their various teachers. Between, school, homework, activities, dinner, bath and half hour reading time before bed, they do not typically have much free time during the week. Sometimes they choose to watch tv, other times (like tonight as I type this) they choose to run around playing some game the 3 of them have come up with.

On weekends they are typically very active. They have several neighborhood friends and if the weather is nice they will be outside playing football, tag or whatever else for most of the day. I usually have to remind them to come in long enough to eat lunch!

Because they are not overly focused on it, I don't worry about setting limits. If the weather is bad and they are bored and spend a whole Saturday playing video games, I don't think it is a big deal because I know it hardly ever happens and that given the choice they are out playing and being active. If the weather is nice and they are playing and I decide it has been long enough I tell them to go outside and play. I guess for me there is no magic number and the "right" amount of screen time, may vary from day to day.

On weeknights when we are at home, it is limited to 1 hour. But usually 2-3 weeknights every week, my almost 8 yr old is not home to get that much. On Saturdays and Sundays, my kids are limited to 3 hours, but I try to make them break it up so they are not constantly in front of a screen for that long.

We try to keep it in proportion to other activities like reading, crafts, freestyle play, physical activities, baking/cooking, prayer, and nature walks. It's harder in cold weather or when I feel particularly unwell. We had an ice storm here last night so today Chickpea watched "Hercules" and played 20 minutes of a spelling game on my phone. However, she also read a chapter book, did a science lab on digestion, listened to Christian rock, and made paper crafts for Valentine's Day.

2 hours of recreational screen time is plenty.
He needs to read or get outside in the fresh air and build a snow fort or do some other unstructured play activity and stop obsessing over how much screen time he's missing.
He's got his whole life to sit in front of a screen.
He doesn't need to start over dosing on it now.
Our son is 15 and doesn't have a lot of time for playing on the computer.
He's got too much school work and most of that is computer based (and it's only going to get worse as he gets closer to college).

Of course he doesn't...he is 9.

We limit too and watch 2 hours tops (all screen time total) Sometimes none at all

My son is 6. He usually gets 10 minutes or so in the morning while I'm making breakfast and 30 minutes in the afternoon. He can choose whatever screen he wants, except no watching TV in the morning. Sometimes this increases, especially if my husband and I want to watch sports on TV in the evening. On the weekends, he usually gets two separate 30-45 minute periods.

My daughter is 3. She usually gets 2-3 TV shows per day, with each show being about 25 minutes or so (all Disney Jr, Nick Jr or PBS Kids). These are spread out - morning, early afternoon, late afternoon. Again, sometimes it goes up but that's what I try hard to enforce.