Forums Digital ParentingNeed help setting screen time limits on iPhone

Need help setting screen time limits on iPhone

May 10·1 min read

My 13 year old has been glued to TikTok for like 3 hours straight on school nights and I'm losing my mind. I know there's parental controls but I want to do this the smart way without him feeling like I'm being too controlling. Should I set it up without telling him or have a conversation first? I don't want to be the bad guy but I also don't want him failing math because he's watching dance videos until midnight. What's worked for other dads?

4 comments139 views

Comments(4)

DDerek P.RegularMay 12

Set the downtime hours in Settings > Screen Time > Downtime. Make it automatic after 9pm or whatever works for your family. Takes the negotiations out of it.

CChris R.RegularMay 12

This is exactly why we have the no phones at dinner rule in our house. Three hours straight is a dopamine spiral at that age. They don't realize how much time is passing.

CColin M.New DadMay 10

The 13 year old years are tough with this stuff. I'd suggest sitting down and actually talking about the algorithm addiction piece instead of just shutting it down. They respond better when they understand why.

DDerek P.RegularMay 11

Three hours on school nights is brutal. Have you tried using Screen Time on iOS to set app limits? You can restrict TikTok to like 15-30 minutes on weekdays. Our house rule is no social media after dinner.

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