Right. Both my kids are now heavily into screen time, to the exclusion of many of the other things that they used to do and enjoy. The little one just watches YouTube all evening and the biggun plays Fortnite for hours on end. He gets all aggressive when it glitches ( which it does frequently) and is a nightmare to get off it at bedtime.
I'm assuming thete are apps/ config settings that I can apply on our router to restrict access, but have no idea if it's possible to do something fancy like restrict it to less than 90 minutes a day with any excess being carried over to the next day. Did a search and was surprised not to see any relevant posts. Perhaps stws are all too busy playing than preventing.
Any suggestions....
Ta
What format is he playing on?
Switch the router off?
I"m no expert but i believe with BT broadband you can log onto the admin section of the router and restrict certain devices so they can only connect between two specific time points. Might be a quick fix to give them a window each day to tinternet...
For Android tablets/phones you can download family link app and control screentime limits bedtimes etc and all app downloads get sent to you for approval first. No idea on the gaming I just turn the Xbox off!
As djambo says:
It'll be something like http://192.168.1.254
If it helps, my 10-yr old stopped playing it and now just spends his evenings out and about causing trouble. This is a good thing, right?
Depends how he is playing.
I play Fortnite on the iPad and with iOS devices you can set them up with children's accounts and then restrict access to apps via Screen Time on the adult's device. You also get reports on what they are doing etc.
We do this for my daughter's iPhone.
But it's not really an issue for Fortnite specifically because usually we are playing that together anyway as she's a total default 🙂 But it does help control her YouTube addiction.
Probably easier to do it at device level. PC is easy with Win10 and screen time, you can set it for total amount of time or set times (or both), the exact same system will also control Xbox’s
iOS devices have screen time controls
I’m sure Sony / Android decides will do the same.
Key is usually to set up proper kid accounts for them in the first place.
(Also Season 8 literally just started today. So if he was specifically a bit of a pain tonight then that's why. Lots of new stuff and trying to get ahead of his mates early on).
Fortnite is so yesterday,
It’s all about Apex:Legends now.
Stick Momo in the game.
my 10-yr old stopped playing it and now just spends his evenings out and about causing trouble. This is a good thing, right?
Darn right that's a good thing.
Cheers all.
Ipad mainly.
"oi, turn that off NOW!" Works here. Any debate on that, I'll throw it in the bin.
Dam right Weeksy. You're the parent op, not the tech.
Any debate on that, I’ll throw it in the bin.
Kirsty?
we tell our kids they can play for an hour before dinner.
Then it is switched off , or it literally is off to bed with no pudding!
discipline in action!
Same here. We as adults decide on how long they have screen for. I turn off WiFi if they don't comply.
It's a constant battle though.
Worth the effort.
change the wifi password weekly, which is unlocked after they complete certain tasks. It's like computer games come to life.
Harry turn that off now, why, because I said so. And that's to an ever increasing in size 14 year old.
As above, with BT Broadband you can set it so that it will refuse access to whatever device he's playing on at the time of your choosing. I'd recommend at least an hour before bedtime if you're happy for him to play in the evening. Tell him upfront why you are doing it.
But make sure you change the admin password on the router otherwise he'll just head in and adjust the settings.
We've never given our kids (6&9) access to screens, apart from some TV and using Spotify on a very old tablet to choose music in the home kitchen.
They know the score, but I'm very aware that their mates - many from toddler age - have had their own devices and (now that they're older) play games like Fortnite. For balance, some of their other mates still play with wooden toys and nowt else!
I don't really know what the next steps are for us, but these sorts of threads do make me think that we have an opportunity to learn from others before we give our kids wider access to screens.
I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting 'screentime'.
Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?
I'm being genuine here. I'd love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.
(Disclaimer: I had access to a computer with games like Doom and Quake from a young age - I used to play with my Dad lots but also had my own computer. I played with Lego and other things too, I guess. But yeah.)
I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.
My take on it would be the avoidance of forming of the habit 'becoming a lazy bastard on a couch'. I have no idea of the benefits or otherwise of the actual screen staring, nor do I plan to research it, but inactivity is a known killer.
I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting ‘screentime’.
The longer that my youngest one plays Fortnite, the more wired and agitated he becomes. We can hear him shouting into his headset from the other side of the house.
10 year olds often lack the self awareness to realise that they’re not actually enjoying the game any more and it’s actually overstimulating them and properly stressing them out.
That’s where the parental control steps in.
It’s also a handy substitute for a well deserved clip round the lughole that modern society has deemed “not cool”
My take on it would be the avoidance of forming of the habit ‘becoming a lazy bastard on a couch’. I have no idea of the benefits or otherwise of the actual screen staring, nor do I plan to research it, but inactivity is a known killer.
A bit like spending hours on a forum?
/Walks dog.
I have an 18 year old that turns up the temper when the router goes off.
Doesn't like it, but the noise out of his room stops us sleeping. Thing is, he doesn't get up for college, so would have no chance if we didn't restrict internet after certain times.
My take on it would be the avoidance of forming of the habit ‘becoming a lazy bastard on a couch’.
Yeah I mean - I get that, but the thread is talking about 10 year old kids, right? So unless you've got an adventure course in your living room, or happy to have your 10 year old running around in the street... it's not like reading a book or playing with a non-digital toy is any more physically demanding, right?
The longer that my youngest one plays Fortnite, the more wired and agitated he becomes. We can hear him shouting into his headset from the other side of the house.
10 year olds often lack the self awareness to realise that they’re not actually enjoying the game any more and it’s actually overstimulating them and properly stressing them out.
That’s where the parental control steps in.
This is more interesting and makes a completely valid argument, thanks. I wonder at what age we develop enough to understand if we are enjoying something or if we're just being stressed out.
As an avid online video game player (not Fortnite though, for the record) I thank you for taking your child out the game once he reaches the point of becoming toxic toward other players (re: shouting into the mic). I wish adults had the self control to do the same...
I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting ‘screentime’.
Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?
I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.
We're just taking things slowly - letting other parents go first with screen time and then trying to learn from their experiences.
We don't seem to get many posts on this forum about trying to restrict kids' playing outside time or about the downsides of Lego.
Don't you have any adults in the house? How do you go about enforcing bedtime or eating their vegetables?
I always question what people are trying to prevent or avert with limiting ‘screentime’.
Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?
Me too.
I think perhaps there's two sides to this. One is that it's the latest demon, like watching TV was when I was a kid. The other is that any hobby - be that iPads or TV or playing football - can become problematic when it's taken to obsessive levels at the exclusion of everything else. If you're restricting access for the latter reason then fair enough, the former not so much.
We don’t seem to get many posts on this forum about trying to restrict kids’ playing outside time or about the downsides of Lego.
A mate of mine's daughter is a complete bookworm, given the chance she'll spend every waking moment buried in a book to a point where she was becoming isolated and insular, barely interacting with family and friends. He's had to restrict her "book time," not because books are bad mmkay but because it was taking over her life.
it’s not like reading a book or playing with a non-digital toy is any more physically demanding, right?
No but finding something else to do is mentally stimulating in itself. My 12yo, given half a chance would do nothing other than stare at their phone. We're pretty relaxed/generous with the amount of screen time we allow, but it's becoming more obvious that the minute it's switched off she's bored and can't even think of an alternative activity.
I've been looking at the google wifi routers - as you can set times / disable access for certain devices without having to do any network stuff... Would mean i would not have to mess with all my other network stuff for work.
We have clear rules on the amount of time they can use there tablets etc... and if they don't respect those, they don't get them back for a while. I've no problems not giving them pudding if they don't behave.
The little one just watches YouTube all evening
Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?
I pressume that's not a serious question? 😉 The firehoze/sewer that is youtube with unlimited access vs. Lego, Action Man and Barbie? I don't know about you, but when I was younger, play was a lot more imaginative than passively wayching a screen. Hence reading books encourages imagination, wheras watching limits it.
For access, router normally has a time on and time off. You can't carry things across. Set it to 90 minutes a day and it's betweem XX:00 and YY:00. Those are the rule - till they get a 20GB data contract. Or just unplug it.
I wrote this on the same subject a couple of years ago, though TBH the entire thread is probably worth a read if you've got screen-obsessed kids, there's some good points raised on both sides of the argument.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/digital-addiction/page/2/#post-8064699
Like whats the alternative? Playing with physical toys? Why are physical toys better than digital?
I’m being genuine here. I’d love to hear why parents dread screen time so much.
The main aspect that worries me as a parent is who they're connected to - with a Lego set in their bedroom it's clear they're on their own, but when you've got an internet connected phone/tablet it could be anyone on the other end. Although I have to say I'm not particularly worried about the big-bad-paedo, it's more about potential bullying / school related problems.
That said, we've been pretty active about educating the kids about possible risks, and so far we haven't had any real problems. They're both pretty responsible, and know that homework/exams come first, and if they end up using the phone in their bedroom until late at night they're the ones that are going to be tired the next day...
I wonder at what age we develop enough to understand if we are enjoying something or if we’re just being stressed out.
Based on some recent threads , this realisation never happens to some people no matter how old they are.
On topic question-
I have microsoft account which my eldest uses so his X-box progress is on my account. I want to change it so he has his own account (to limit screentime etc) but in order to do that without loosing his progress, I think I have to change mine to a child one with maybe a new adult account in charge of it.
Any ideas if this is how to go about it best?
I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, play was a lot more imaginative than passively wayching a screen.
Have you ever seen the sort of thing kids are doing with Minecraft?
Set it to 90 minutes a day and it’s betweem XX:00 and YY:00.
Your childhood imaginative play doesn't appear to have done much for your maths... (-:
I have microsoft account which my eldest uses so his X-box progress is on my account. I want to change it so he has his own account (to limit screentime etc) but in order to do that without loosing his progress, I think I have to change mine to a child one with maybe a new adult account in charge of it.
Any ideas if this is how to go about it best?
You can create family accounts, there's a KB article explaining this in detail on the xbox.com website. As for transferring progress, try using the online chat support thing on the website, see what MS have to say. They're very helpful IME.
It might be simpler just to create yourself a new account and downgrade your old one as you say (you probably don't want to nobble your account first...!) but that would depend on what else you've got tied into it.
I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, play was a lot more imaginative than passively wayching a screen. Hence reading books encourages imagination, wheras watching limits it.
This is the kind of opinion I'd challenge strongly. Especially with video games. The Minecraft example is a great one, but there's actually a fair bit of science that supports the idea that videogames are very stimulating for the brain in different ways than books - they aid and nurture critical thinking, for example.
The kind of 'back in my day' thinking I think is regressive - the claim that somehow books are the height of brain/intellectual stimulation is fairly narrow and baseless. What kind of book is a 10 year old going to be reading, anyway?
What Plyphon says. We need to move on from thinking video games are harmful, they're not in moderation just like most other things.
What kind of book is a 10 year old going to be reading, anyway?
David Walliams, Ian Livingstone, Deathtrap Dungeon type things 🙂
I don't have any issues at all with my lad playing X-box. Fortnite his his favourite, Apex Legends too. But when i tell him to stop, it's right now, here and now... end of...
Problem I have is that the junior crack that Fortnite is, unlike say Fifa there are no obvious breaks / countdowns / endings. Kids are crap at self governance so if you tell them 'five minutes' then at the end of five/ten/however many minutes they won't walk away and then it'll be 'just doing this, just got to get there, just got to get killed, just found a massive gun' bollocks that means confrontation as you insist or enforce that time is up. Ours has just been giving us a hard time related I believe to us getting tough on self-governance so for this weekend and probably into next week, there are just a collection of wires where the Xbox normally is. No pudding.
Problem I have is that the junior crack that Fortnite is, unlike say Fifa there are no obvious breaks / countdowns / endings.
Except when they get wiped, the round ends, searching for a lobby and waiting for the round to start.
