iPads
Anyone got any advice on iPads please?
Santa brought my son (5yo) one for Christmas and I swear I feel like I have lost my son to a screen as he just wants to be on it 24/7. He used to love board games, going to the park, all sorts, and now when I ask him if he wants to do any of those things he says no my iPad is more fun etc. I have tried limiting the time he has on it but it’s just ending in tears, I’ve tried calmly talking to him even saying that I miss him as we don’t play together anymore because he just wants his iPad and he’s just not bothered. He wants it as soon as he wakes up on a morning (which I do say he is allowed it after he’s dressed, teeth brushed etc until we go to school, so say for like 20 mins or whatever) but then as soon as I pick him up from school he is in the car saying he can’t wait to play his iPad when he gets home.
I just feel like he’s consumed by it… any advice please ❤️
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Take it off him, he doesn’t actually need one, be firm, once it’s out of sight it’ll eventually be out of mind
My son is also 5 and was the same Santa brought him a iPad and it’s like I lost my son he started acting out in school not wanting anything but his iPad unfortunately I tried so many things putting a time on it so it shuts off after an hour, only on weekends, making certain time for family games and it didn’t work so unfortunately I hat to take it of him completely it was a hard hard 2/3 weeks but I’m slowly getting him back the little boy who can spend hour at the park the little boy who wants to play with me unfortunately tablets ain’t for all kids xx
I would be tempted to just take it away. It's so addictive.
I did it with the Tv. I removed it for a full year. Best decision ever. When i brought it back, i enforced strict rules that we never change otherwise we get tantrums...
No screens Monday to friday. It's school time, when we get home, it's play time, bath, dinner, stories then bed.
20-30 min tv saturday morning
Half a movie (age appropriate of course, that i choose) we watch together saturday around 6 pm.
Then same on Sundays. That's it.
That's already 3 hours of screen per week. That's enough.
This is a cruel to be kind situation. Put a time limit on daily use, I’m pretty sure you can do this in the settings so it turns itself off once he’s hit that time limit. He can then pick when he uses that time, but once it’s run out it’s run out, he will have to do something else. He will hate it to begin with but he’ll soon get used to it x
I would set firm boundaries. A 5 year old doesn't get to decide about his screentime. You are in charge mama. ☺️
I would take it off him completely especially if it’s changing his behaviour, young minds really don’t need it.
If you’re scared of the tantrum, run down the battery and tell him it’s broken.
If he knows how to charge it, plug in the charger with him and keep the switch off at the mains and say look it’s not working. Then tell him, maybe Santa will get you another one this Christmas. You’ll have him back til December at least and by then hopefully he’ll want something else.
You are such a good mom for noticing the change in your child and wanting better for him. You’ve gotten a lot of good advice here, I’d like to add this additional info for you to consider and help with setting boundaries. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-inside-with-dr-becky/id1561689671?i=1000746812551
If you download family link you can restrict apps/time limits lock the device I've recently down it and it helps
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