Some weekends feel like survival mode I let my 4yo watch movies or play on the tablet for a bit just so I can breathe or get something done, but then I feel guilty I know he’s young and screens aren’t all bad, but sometimes he’ll be on there for hours and after he’s cranky or won’t sleep. I don’t know if I’m helping him or making things worse. I want to let him enjoy his time, but setting limits turns into a meltdown and I just don’t have the energy to fight. Anyone else going through this? How do you find the balance?
Ugh same here… 
This hit home for me. My daughter is the same age and I literally feel torn every single time I hand over the tablet I need that time to clean or cook or just chill but the aftermath is always rough
Same situation in my house too Do you notice if it’s worse with certain kinds of content? I wonder if the shows or games themselves matter or if it’s just the amount
Wow I seriously could’ve written this. Weekends are the worst for us screen-wise too. My 4yo wakes up asking for the iPad and it becomes this ongoing negotiation all day I try to put it off until after lunch but if I say no, it’s like full meltdown mode And once I give in, it’s HOURS. I’m just trying to survive some days. I think what’s worse is the guilt afterward, like I gave him too much, I made him too dependent, I didn’t engage enough. But when I’m tired and burned out, it feels like the only option You’re not alone in this
This really speaks to me I have no solution honestly I just want to say I’m in it too. My kid gets SO cranky after screen time but it’s like the only thing that’ll hold his attention for more than 15 minutes. I tried cutting it out altogether for a weekend and it was chaos I ended up more stressed and everyone was yelling by Sunday night So yeah I get it. Screens make it easier in the moment but harder later
I’m stuck on this too and don’t know what the “right” thing is. I tried tracking his screen time one weekend and it shocked me how quickly it added up, like two movies, a couple games and boom it’s 4 hours. But like… I need time to make food and do laundry and honestly sometimes just scroll on my own phone to chill. We tried those “screen tickets” things where he gets 3 per day and each one’s like 20 min but he just kept begging for more and I gave in most times so it felt pointless. He’s also really into Paw Patrol and I think the fast pace kind of winds him up?? Anyone else’s kid act more hyper after screen time?? I feel like it should calm him down but nope. Still trying to figure out what works but I don’t think I’m close to a solution yet
So this was a HUGE battle for us too and what’s worked lately is setting up a weekend “rhythm.” We don’t go full schedule mode but we map out the day with like blocks—outdoor play, screen time, quiet time, etc. My kiddo gets one “movie time” in the morning while I drink my coffee and reset the house, then we do an activity like playdough or park or baking. Then in the afternoon we do another short screen chunk while I prep dinner. The key for us was always giving a heads up before screen time ends (like a 5-minute warning), and then transitioning into something he actually likes. We also noticed less irritability when we stuck to PBS-type stuff vs fast-paced YouTube. Not perfect but it’s helped with the tantrums and I feel less guilt knowing we’re still doing other things too
One thing that helped me was picking a set “screen window” during the weekend and sticking to it no matter what Like, 9, 10am and 4, 5pm That way my kid knows when to expect it and stops asking all day. I also started using visual timers (like those sand ones or a simple countdown on the phone) so he could see when it was almost over Also, I try to avoid “sugar + screens” at the same time because that combo always makes him extra wild after The other piece that helped was offering something special after screen time, like a snack picnic, story time, or bubbles outside That softens the blow Don’t beat yourself up, screens aren’t the enemy, but yeah I get the guilt Just small changes can help reduce the chaos without going full no, screen
This is my exact internal monologue every weekend omg. My little one begs for the tablet constantly and when I cave it’s peaceful for a bit but then he’s either bouncing off the walls or super moody I tried having a “tech free morning” one weekend and it was a disaster, so much arguing and whining But I also hate feeling like I’m failing when he gets too much screen. It doesn’t help that everyone around me seems to have it figured out like “oh just tell them no and give them blocks” like… okay sure, Karen. Meanwhile I’m trying to get dressed and feed us both I haven’t figured it out yet either but I think just hearing that other people are dealing with this too makes it feel less like I’m messing up constantly So thanks for sharing this it really helps just knowing we’re not alone