This is driving me crazy. My kids wake up and immediately ask for the iPad. They want YouTube, TikTok, games, you name it. If I say no they lose their minds. My wife thinks I'm being too strict but I'm seeing articles about social media destroying kids' mental health and I don't want that for ours. We ended up doing 1 hour a day on school days but getting them to stop when the timer goes off is a nightmare.
The iPad wake up request is real. My twins do the same thing. We've had to be pretty strict about not having screens in their room and making breakfast non-negotiable first. It's an ongoing war though.
Have you tried redirecting them to something else first? My kids are way more interested in books and activities if they're not hungry. We grabbed a few new graphic novels from the library last week and that actually kept them occupied longer than the iPad.
Yeah, the meltdowns are rough. We've had better luck getting ours outside right after breakfast instead. Even just 20 minutes before they ask for screens makes a huge difference in their mood.
Dude, I feel this. My kids do the same thing first thing in the morning. We started a rule that breakfast and a smoothie come first, no screens until after. It's not perfect but it buys us some time and gets them eating something real.
This is the constant battle in our house. We tried the 30 minute rule but they just ask for it again right after. I've had some success with making non-screen activities more appealing but honestly some days I just need the break.
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YouTube and TikTok are designed to be addictive so don't feel bad about the struggle. The algorithm is literally built to keep kids watching. Have you tried offering alternatives they actually enjoy? My son will do model rockets instead of screens some days.