Got two kids, ages 7 and 11. Wife wants to limit it to 1 hour per day total but ngl that seems insane on weekends when we're trying to get stuff done around the house. What's actually reasonable here? And how do you guys enforce it without constant battles? I'm not trying to raise them glued to a tablet but I also don't want to be the 'no fun' parent, you know?
Honestly the screen time battle gets easier when you can offer them something better to do. Since you're already into the garden project vibe, maybe that's your answer. Keep them busy and screen time becomes less of a thing naturally.
The real question is what counts as screen time. Does educational stuff on iPad count the same as Fortnite? Because if you're counting everything equally then yeah an hour is impossible. Try to get more granular about what you're actually limiting.
1 hour for a 7 and 11 year old combined is setting yourself up for constant fighting. Be realistic about what you can actually enforce. I'd say 1.5 to 2 hours total is more achievable and still reasonable.
We've landed on about 90 minutes on weekdays for our two kids (similar ages to yours) and they have more freedom on weekends. It's been a decent compromise and the kids adapted faster than we expected. Point is, find YOUR number, not what some parenting blog says.
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One hour total for both kids is pretty unrealistic honestly. That's like... a movie and you're done. I'd push back gently and suggest maybe an hour per kid plus some buffer for educational apps. Find the middle ground.