Screen time battles with a 7 year old

1d ago1 min read

So my kid has been asking for more tablet time after school and I keep saying no but then I'm exhausted and cave. We set a rule of 1 hour on weekdays but last week I caught him on there for 2.5 hours straight. He was watching some minecraft tutorial stuff which feels educational but also... he wasn't even following along, just zoned out. Wife is mad at me for not enforcing it. How do you guys actually stick to the limits you set? Do any of you use parental controls that actually work or is that just security theater?

7 comments138 views

Comments(7)

LLucas M.New Dad10h ago

Yeah I feel this in my soul. Screen time guilt is real but also sometimes you need 20 minutes of peace so you can actually be present for them after. Balance right?

JJustinNew Dad4h ago

At 7 they're right at that age where they're testing boundaries but they can also understand rules if you explain them. Maybe frame it as they get tablet time as a reward for something?

DDerekNew Dadjust now

Just remember you're not a bad parent for being exhausted after work and giving in sometimes. That said consistent rules will actually make your life easier long term.

DDerekNew Dad1d ago

Dude this is the exhaustion trap. You give in because you're worn out and then suddenly it becomes the new normal. I've been there. What helped us was having a specific time block for tablet stuff so she knew it was coming and I knew when I could breathe.

BBrandonRegular1d ago

Yeah the exhaustion thing is real. Here's what I learned with my kids though - giving in just means MORE battles tomorrow because now they know it works. Sometimes saying no is actually the easier path long term even if it sucks today.

DDerekNew Dad19h ago

The asking for more after school is classic. Seven year olds will push forever if you let them. My suggestion is pick a reasonable limit (maybe 30 mins?) and stick to it even when you're exhausted. It actually gets easier after a couple weeks.

BBrandon H.New Dad18h ago

This is exactly why I made specific rules about tablet time instead of just saying no. My kids get 30 minutes after school on certain days and that's it. Took the guessing out of it and surprisingly they didn't fight it as much once they knew what to expect.