Screen time

hmm, that's a tricky one. My DGDs (7 and 4) have their own tablets and supposedly are allowed on them for an hour a day. They're loaded with educational games and their mum sees it as necessary down time after school. They don't watch much TV (maybe a half hour in the morning I believe). When I mind them (one afternoon a week) they always ask for the telly or tablets but I try resist until 5 when I need to start getting dinner ready. I think on the one hand we can't fight progress but it also breaks my heart a little when I'm trying to speak to them and they are so totally focused on the game they don't respond. I have threatened to take them away before and the 4 year old has definitely had a few tantrums as a result. I've only actually removed it once but she told her mum who just raised her eyebrows and told me I was making my own life more difficult. Oh well.

All our 4 little ones have iPads and have done so from about 18 months.

They are never unsupervised , its really that simple. I see huge value in online learning and some of the educational apps available are outstanding. They practice their reading , they write stories and become familiar with technology and the gain the ability to source answers to their questions.

Having said all that , when they come to us, they bring their iPads for a quiet half hour while tea is being prepared but the rest of the time, we play games, go outside and get dirty , we talk, sing , paint the list is endless because what they cannot get from iPads are the nuances of conversation.

They cant see and become able to work out human interaction, body language , tone and content.

I have never had to threaten to take away their devices , I simply say No. My house my rules and they know that. Arguing with Nana is a pointless activity and wastes time that can be used on far more fun things.

Smashing their iPads is probably the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard and simply indicates to me that anyone who does that has a) more money than sense and b) is in need of some publicity :-) !! Its not what normal people do .

You wait til they are 12 or 14 ???

We regulated our son's time on game consoles years ago, especially the eldest as he was clearly addicted. I think GP's need to go along with what their GC's parents feel is appropriate.

IMO many spend far too much time on ipads and/or tablets. So often when having meals out we see children glued to their ipads/tablets and no interaction taking place with their siblings and/or parents. Sadly, many parents are too busy with their own ipdad, tablet of 'phone to engage with their children.

My mum remembers parents in the 60's being criticised for sitting their children in front of the TV and it being used as a babysitter

Breaking an ipad no, but taking it away from a child who wont follow the rules is perfectly acceptable. We took the tv out of our son's bedroom because he wouldn't turn it off when told.

There were several responses on BBC breakfast to this this morning. One woman said she'd thrown her son's play station out of the back door because he repeatedly ignored her when he was told to turn it off. He was so shocked and upset that he told all of his class mates about it the next day and it had quite an effect on them all, possibly making them think twice about disobeying their own parents.

The one response that made me laugh was from a mum whose 2 sons wouldn't stop fighting over a football so she cut it in half and gave them half each.

Surely the main point of Kirstie Allsop's story is less to do with the amount of screen time and more to do with children doing as they're told.

We all know it would be better for a child to be outside doing something physical and interacting with real people, it is the parents that make them stay in worried about the violence and crime that is more common place now.

Often with both parents working there is not enough time to spend playing with the little ones and the older children would not want to spend time with parents preferring their virtual friends in a game room or on social media.

I think tablets and game consuls are better than watching too much TV which is the usual alternative. At least they are interacting and using skills needed in later life.

The only way to limit the technology time is to lead by example and take charge of your children, no means no.Take responsibility to parent your children, it is not up to school or the government or the media to do it for you.

It seems a sad state of affairs to the older age group as it is not the world we grew up with. I remember as a child big debates about how we spent too much time watching TV and would make for dull adults that would be unable to converse.

My AC say I am a bad influence , because I am addicted to my Kindle ! I even keep a spare so wee one can do her puzzles on it while her Dad and I chat

My DGC all have their own tablets. All but one that is, he broke his during a sensory meltdown ??. My DD finds them valuable when the DGC need to chill out by themselves. They all have sensory processing problems and need time out at least once a day.

Granddaughters aged 9 both had kindle fires last Christmas. They read on them, do their maths and are allowed to play mine craft , a game the one especially adores because you can draw your own scenarios and she's very imaginative. Their screen time is limited , they are not allowed to be on their devices unless homework is done but I think technology has its place as long as they are not on it hours and hours at a time. Tele time is also restricted but some of that time is when we all watch a film as a family and they watch wildlife programmes with their dad

Very young DGC, but they have age appropriate 'pads, mainly accessing some quite educational games.
They use them for car journeys and flights, if they wake before the groclock says it is morning, and for an hour or so on a sunday morning (cuddled in bed with parents) so there is one day of the week when they manage a mini lie-in.
The games seem to me to be a better option than television.

My twin 7 year old GC have each had a kindle fire for kids for two years now. They are allowed one hour once a week on Tuesday. Great excitement when it is Tuesday!

I can totally see the advantages of interactive games on iPad or phone - my issue is that my daughter does not put any limits on the time the GCs are allowed on them!

I only ban my gc from screen time if they're misbehaving. It's a handy discipline tool and gets them to turn bad behavior around rather quickly. Beyond that, I follow the parents' rules. Since they still enjoy other activities - coloring, playing outdoors, etc. I'm not worried. If they didn't, that would be a different story.