6 year old won't put iPad down

1w ago1 min read

My son gets 30 mins of screen time a day and when time is up it's complete meltdown. I've tried setting alarms, giving warnings, negotiating, nothing works. He cries for an hour after. I feel like the bad guy but I know too much screen time is not good. His mom is more lenient at her place which makes it harder when he's with me because he expects different rules. How do you guys enforce limits without losing your mind?

10 comments126 views

Comments(10)

SSam T.Regular6d ago

Yeah we had the same issue. Honestly took about two weeks of staying firm before my son realized the iPad wasn't coming back that day. No negotiating, no exceptions. It sucks but consistency is key.

NNate B.Regular1w ago

Have you tried giving him something to transition to? Like right when the iPad time ends we switch to building something or going outside. The meltdown usually happens when there's nothing else to look forward to.

MMike R.New Dad1w ago

That meltdown phase is real. I've found that the transition needs to happen before the timer goes off, like getting him interested in something else a few minutes early. It's not perfect but beats the full shutdown.

KKeithNew Dad1w ago

Six is such a tough age for this. My four kids have all gone through it and honestly the alarms just make them mad faster. We started letting them help pick the next activity so they feel like they have a say in what's coming.

TTobias K.Regular1w ago

This one's a battle. Have you tried letting him pick what he does after the 30 mins instead? Like giving him control over the next activity sometimes helps with the transition.

RRob H.Regular1w ago

At 6 he doesn't have great impulse control yet so the meltdown is normal even if it sucks. Consistency is your best friend here. Hang in there.

RRob H.Regular1w ago

The meltdown is tough but you're doing the right thing with the time limit. Kids need boundaries even when they hate them. We use a timer he can see counting down.

MMark T.New Dad1w ago

We had the exact same thing with our oldest. What helped us was giving a 5 minute warning before time was up so it wasn't a surprise when we called it. Still had meltdowns but fewer of them.

SSam T.Regular1w ago

The timer thing we do is a lifesaver. We set it on his watch so he can see it counting down, makes it feel less like we're just yanking it away. Still gets upset but he knows it's coming.

BBenNew Dad6d ago

Is he getting enough physical activity during the day? My kid was way worse about screen time when she wasn't burning off energy. Now she gets tired faster and actually wants a break.