We've been doing way more iPad time since my wife went back to work. Some days the kids get 3+ hours and honestly I feel like a bad parent about it. My daughter is 6 and my son is 4. They still play outside and do other stuff but I can't shake the guilt. Is this ruining them or am I overthinking it?
Man, you're not a bad parent. My wife went back to work too and we're in the same boat some days. The guilt is worse than the actual screen time honestly.
3 hours sounds rough but real talk, you're still doing the job. Kids are still fed, still safe, still yours. Some days are survival mode and that's okay.
I've been there with the guilt spiral. What helped me was remembering that occasional higher screen days aren't going to ruin them, especially when you're solo parenting.
Three plus hours is a lot but also I get it. When my wife went back to work things got chaotic at our house too. Some days you just do what you need to do to keep everyone alive. The guilt is worse than the actual screen time probably.
Real talk though 3 hours is not ideal but it's also not the end of the world. What matters more is what they're watching and if you're doing other stuff too. And if your wife going back to work means you need the iPad to make things work then that's what you do. Don't feel guilty about surviving.
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We're definitely higher than I'd like to admit too. The work from home situation plus kids being inside means yeah the iPad gets a lot of use. I try to balance it with other stuff but some days that doesn't happen and I've made peace with it.