My 6 year old keeps asking for more iPad time and I don't know what the actual limit should be. I've heard everything from none to a couple hours. He does actually use educational apps sometimes but I also know he just wants to watch YouTube. What's the consensus here? How are you guys managing this with your kids?
Everyone's different but honestly the AAP recommendation of 1-2 hours of quality content is probably reasonable. For our 6 year old though we stick to the lower end and we try to use it for actual learning not just entertainment.
The experts say up to 2 hours but I think that's actually too much for a 6 year old. We aim for an hour max and only educational stuff or shows we've approved. The kids are honestly happier when they're not on screens so they just don't think to ask sometimes.
It's way less about the number and way more about what they're watching and if you're watching together. We do 30 minutes most days and sometimes more on weekends but we actually watch with them so we're not just checking out.
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At 6 years old honestly I'd keep it under an hour a day tops. Our pediatrician said the limit is 2 hours but that's the maximum not the goal. We do 30 to 45 minutes after school and that feels like the sweet spot for us.