Am I being unreasonable about screen time differences?

Jan 23·1 min read

My rule: no screens on school nights, limited on weekends. Their mom: basically lets them watch whatever. My 11yo is constantly asking why my rules are "so strict" and says all his friends get more screen time at their moms' houses. I don't want to be the "hard ass" dad but I also think constant gaming and YouTube is not great? How do I hold my boundary without just sounding like the bad guy?

5 comments167 views

Comments(5)

EEvan M.RegularJan 24

This is rough because you're actually being consistent and reasonable, but coordinating parenting rules across households is basically impossible. You're not being unreasonable, she's just doing the opposite of what you agreed on.

PPhilNew DadJan 24

You're not being unreasonable at all. School nights should be screen-free, that's pretty standard parenting. The problem is you can't actually enforce it across two households. That's the frustrating part.

MMarcus J.RegularJan 24

No screens on school nights is solid parenting. I'd be frustrated too if my co-parent was undermining that. Have you two talked about why she's okay with the free-for-all approach?

BBen R.New DadJan 26

The reality is you can only control what happens in your house. When they're at her place that's on her. Just make sure your boundaries are crystal clear at your place and don't stress about the other half.

RRob K.RegularJan 26

This is the thing nobody warns you about with co-parenting. Your rules mean nothing if the other parent has completely different standards. Does your kid acknowledge the difference or just play by whatever rules they're under?