Are we the only ones limiting video game screen time?
Other households often allow much more access, making parents feel like the overly strict house when they enforce limits like one hour a day. This peer pressure and uncertainty over what is normal makes it difficult to judge whether restrictions are reasonable.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Allowing an hour of game time per dayDid this help you?
- 2Not placing limits on playing video games if children finish their school and sports responsibilitiesDid this help you?
- 3Moving computers to public or shared areas of the homeDid this help you?
- 4Uninstalling games or removing them during the weekDid this help you?
- 5Using parental control software like Microsoft Family or network filtersDid this help you?
- 6Sitting with the child or supervising them nearby while they workDid this help you?
- 7Using separate devices specifically designated for homework versus gamingDid this help you?
- 8Replacing strict weekday bans with adaptive rules requiring homework and family dinner firstDid this help you?
- 9Setting daily time caps like 60 minutes on school days and 2 hours on non-school days with flexibility to save timeDid this help you?
- 10Metering home wifi connections for each individual device or childDid this help you?
- 11Calling audibles to turn off screens at the end of an episodeDid this help you?
- 12Setting strict time limits before the playdate startsDid this help you?
- 13Breaking up game time with snacks or outdoor activitiesDid this help you?
- 14Checking with the other child's parents ahead of time regarding screen rulesDid this help you?
- 15Banning screens entirely during hangouts to encourage physical playDid this help you?
- 16Asking the teacher for alternative offline tasks like handwriting practice or math worksheetsDid this help you?
- 17Keeping professional opinions to oneself at school while privately feeling frustrated by screen useDid this help you?
- 18Switching to approved-content-only mode on YouTube KidsDid this help you?
- 19Switching to alternative apps like PBS Kids or ABC KidsDid this help you?
- 20Using DVDs, a DVD player, or VHS tapesDid this help you?
- 21Banning YouTube and streaming platforms entirelyDid this help you?
- 22Using offline media players like Tonie Stories or the Little Tikes Dream MachineDid this help you?
- 23Downloading allowed videos manually to a separate PC account with no internet accessDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I do think I want to ask that he not participate in this online program anymore.”source ↗
“He either doesn’t remember what he did on the tablet/chrome book, or he can’t explain what he learned.”source ↗
“I was going to suggest to the teacher that maybe he could do more handwriting practice or math worksheets.”source ↗
“We’ve never done screen time during playdates in the past, but I know he’s gonna want to play Minecraft with his friends when they come over now.”source ↗
“At the same time I don’t love the idea of just playing video games the entire time.”source ↗
“Wondering how everyone else is handling this? Let them play how they want, or step in and limit screen time”source ↗
“Recently 10yo is pushing back on this because she wants to message friends more frequently.”source ↗
“Also this means by Friday and Saturday they’re so excited for screen time that they want to use them more than do other things which drives me crazy.”source ↗
“Is everyone letting their kids play video games whenever they want? Are we the strict house for just allowing an hour a day? The kids say everyone plays all the time in other homes. Wondering how true that is.”source ↗
“We do an hour of game time as well. The kids come ask if they can play and they know when it’s time to turn off the Xbox.”source ↗
“My only real concern is whether the kids being invited over can manage their emotions or if the control, game console and/or tv will be damaged during a dysregulation episode.”source ↗
“My 14-year-old son keeps playing video games when he is supposed to be doing homework, and I’m getting really frustrated and don’t know how to handle it.”source ↗
“YouTube Kids is driving me crazy. Is there a good alternative?”source ↗
“The suggested-videos mode is a mess. It pushes whatever is popular, and what's popular with kids is the loud, hyper-colorful, super fast stuff built to keep them hooked.”source ↗
“You can't search. My kid can't look for something specific, even inside channels I already approved.”source ↗
“It doesn't show everything. We keep seeing the same handful of videos and channels over and over, and newer uploads from approved channels often don't show up.”source ↗
“On the PC there's no timer.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3What age is appropriate to start letting kids play video games?
- 2How to handle kids' social media when all their friends have it
- 4How to raise a child screen-free and algorithm-free
- 2Why is cutting screen time so exhausting for parents?
- 9How to stop kids from throwing tantrums over phone limits
- 4Does screen time during diaper changes cause attention problems?