With law, how many hour a day a child can watch television and play on computer?

[hardtobeastepmom]

Is there any law to apply for ...how many hour a day a child can watch television and play on computer (included weekend)? 1 hour to watch TV and 30 minutes to play on computer for a half day? and 4 hour to watch TV and 30 minutes to play on computer for the whole full day? Is that enough?

[Moose]

What country are you in?

 

Here in the States, in your home, you make the law. I know you're a step moom, but still, your step-children need to know their boundaries.

[Rachel_0814p]

There's no law to dictate how much time a child spends watching TV or playing games or browsing the web. That's something you have to control if you want to the kids to adhere to limits. But first let me ask what it is that bothers you most about them spending so much time doing these things? I ask because there are going to be different solutions for different reasons.

 

If its because they take over the TV and computer and don't give anyone else in the family time to watch shows or go online, then turn the things off or take them away and make it clear that they've used up their turn and its time for them to find something else to do while you're taking your turn.

 

If it's because of the noise, again tell them it's time to find something else to do and take away the games, remote controls, or computer's power cord if you have to.

 

If it's just that you think they shouldn't spend so much time rotting their brains, well, that's a conversation for you and their father. If their father has created an atmosphere where its acceptable to spend that much time doing these types of activities, then you're powerless to change it. Unless he comes around to the idea that TV and Video Game time should be limited, you're only option is to let it go. That's the drawback of being a step-mom...if dad's not on board with something that doesn't actually affect YOU, then you're pretty much assed out.

 

 

If it's the sheer noise of the TV and video games running all day, maybe this will help:

My soon-to-be-stepkids played Guitar Hero nonstop to the point that they've ruined one of our plasma TVs because the game's images burned into the screen. Despite all of my protests, it's the ruined TV screen that finally got my boyfriend's attention.

 

So they moved the XBOX from the plasma in the living room to the other big screen TV in the family room, and still the gaming -and the noise that comes with it- continued non-stop. By accident I learned how to cultivate an understanding with my boyfriend that when I'm tired of hearing the noise of video games in the living room, it's time to put the video games away. The way that I got my boyfriend to understand the depth of my seriousness was that one day I had just had enough and I blew up at him; I threw a bigger fit then the kids ever have, screaming, crying, cursing and swearing to the gods that I'd had enough and was ready to pack it up and leave. He was utterly taken aback and had no choice but to pay attention.

 

It wasn't my intention to make such a scene, and I was actually a bit embarrassed by my behavior at the end of it. But I had finally got through to him. I even scared the kids a little (they could hear me from our bedroom). So not only does he take me more seriously now, they take me more seriously. When I say that I've had enough of the noise and it's time to find something else to do, the find something else to do.