Need suggestions on setting limits...

[tiredmommy]

on the PS2 already! Duckie absolutely loves it, she used it for almost 4 hours today which is okay because it's brand new. But that's not going to fly on an everyday basis! I'm thinking one hour on non-school days and 30 to 45 minutes on school days once homework, dinner, bathing and any chores are finished. Does this sound reasonable?

 

[SRL]

I think you have to play it by ear because what works for one child won't work for another. My difficult child seriously needs a break after school and I let him play then without any requirements. He opts to split his time between morning and afternoon but any homework must be done first.

 

[Fran]

TM, difficult child's schedule is pretty full. I can't imagine she will have a lot of time to play. On the other hand she may slow down once she gets used to it. My difficult child self policed after a while. Every once in a while I had to step in but usually it was a good place for him to get a break from the world.
30 min to an hour seems like a reasonable amount of time.

 

[susiestar]

thank you is not allowed to play gamecube or gameboy during the school week. He can watch tv or read, but ALL use of gamecube during the week must be OK'd by me.

After school he gets 30 mins to wind down and snack. Then homework (usually the mandatory 30 mins of reading, maybe go over his spelling words). Then any chores, and then playtime. IF we have special circumstances, then I may let him play on gamecube.

This is HIS schedule. At the beginning of hte year he and I and husband sat down and talked. HE put the no school-day limit in. He also thought homework first, then snack, but I insisted on a wind-down and snack period first (such a mean mommy).

Have you talked about this with Duckie? She may have ideas.

Susie

 

[DammitJanet]

Your daughter does have a very full schedule and she is very active playing outside.

What we found with the boys (at least Jamie and Cory) and the gaming systems was that they were enthralled with them for the first few days but then other things called that were more fun. They ended up only playing them much when bad weather or friends came over. You may be thrilled to have that sucker when you are snowed in up there!

Down here it was rain that kept my hellions confined to the house.

 

[1905]

I am all for letting her play all she wants. Because she does have a full, active, and busy life. The playing will be her "down" time (which we all need to rejuvinate). Of course, if she's not doing something she should be, use it as reward. I feel as long as mine do well in school, have outside interests, then they have unlimited playing time. They stop, do other things, whatever...they tire of it occasionally on their own. But, all the other moms I know have kids who also play night and day so I don't feel so bad. But I do feel a little bad.-Alyssa