My 10yo is asking for a Switch and I'm trying to figure out if I'm being too strict or not strict enough. Right now he gets maybe 1 hour on weekends, no screens on school nights. His friends all have Switches and talk about Fortnite constantly. I want him to have fun but I also don't want to be the parent who just lets him zone out. What's everyone else doing? What are reasonable limits?
I think a Switch at 10 is reasonable if you set boundaries. The key is not letting it replace everything else. Does he get outside and play sports or have other hobbies?
Screen time is such a gray area these days. A Switch isn't crazy but it depends on their other activities too. My 10 year old has one but we limit it to weekends mostly. How much screen time is he getting now?
My take is that it depends on the kid. Some kids get obsessed and it's all they want to do. Others treat it like any other toy. Know your kid.
An hour on weekends seems pretty reasonable to me. A Switch is a jump up though, so maybe set some ground rules first if you do get him one.
My kids are into different stuff but the balance thing is real. Sounds like you're being thoughtful about it rather than just saying yes or no.
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You're probably not being too strict but you also don't want him to be the only kid without one. Middle ground is usually best. Set your rules before he gets it and stick to them.