Been using Screen Time on my kids' iPads for about 3 months now. Set limits, app restrictions, the whole thing. My 12 year old figured out how to get around most of it already (won't say how). Anyone else having this problem or am I just bad at this? Feels pointless if they can bypass it.
My kids talk about this stuff at the playground all the time, honestly. Most parents seem to say the same thing you're experiencing. I think it works better as a conversation starter than an actual blocker. What'd your 12 year old do to get around it?
Yeah, my 11 year old cracked Screen Time last year too. I've basically given up on the technical fixes and just try to stay on top of it conversation-wise. The limits help a little but they're not foolproof.
Three months in and you're probably already seeing the cracks. The apps do nothing if you're not the one being consistent about it. I finally just unplugged our wifi router at certain times instead of relying on Apple's restrictions.
Screen Time is better than nothing but honestly kid number 2 figured out he could just ask a friend to unlock his iPad. It's more about what you actually do with your kids during that screen-free time that counts.
I've been there with Screen Time. The honest truth is it's a tool, not a cure-all. My kids learned to work around it pretty quick, but what helped was actually sitting down and talking about why we were setting limits. That conversation mattered more than the settings themselves.
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With four kids I learned real quick that Screen Time is more of a speed bump than a wall. We use it but we also just talk about it a lot. My oldest is 14 and I basically told him I'm trusting him at this point, but we check in.