ᐅ LAN, Wi-Fi, bandwidth, and content?

chand1986 schrieb:
It will definitely change as they grow older. Eventually, the question will be whether access to certain things should have a time limit or not. But you can decide that when the time comes.
My point was simply this: Even if parents sometimes cannot offer an alternative activity, the media for passive consumption should not be used as a substitute. Sometimes the child just has to have an hour without anything to do and learn to cope with themselves and what is available.

I have decided to handle it with my children the way it was done with me. I found that very fair. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted as long as everything else (grades, friends, household, etc.) was in order. This taught me early on to set limits for myself. I believe I got my own TV when I was 10. I quickly learned that it was a bad idea to watch TV, read, or play games late into the night when I had school the next day.
With my brother, intervention was necessary because homework was neglected in favor of TV. We'll see how it works out with our children.

chand1986 schrieb:
In our sports club, you can tell among primary school children who spends more time parked in front of the screen and who does not. Both social behavior and physical ability vary greatly among children of the same age here. Unfortunately, stereotypes tend to be quite accurate—inquiries about how the rest of their free time is structured often confirm this—too often with alarming accuracy.

That might very well be true. There are plenty of parents who excessively park their children in front of screens. We notice this sometimes in his martial arts class. My son has a strong urge to move and is often busy running, climbing, and playing. In terms of agility and body control, he outperforms many 5-year-olds. The "noticeable" kids tend to have several hours of daily media use (TV is not even the main factor—most have their own tablet). I try to withhold judgment even though it’s difficult. I don’t know their situations, and everyone has their own approach.

@Knallkörper: If you want to have a reasonable discussion with me, I’m open to it. But I won’t stoop to that level. It’s just like the blanket judgment, “You play shooter games? Then you’re a violent psychopath and a potential mass shooter.”

Evolith schrieb:
I’m allowed to do whatever I want as long as the rest (grades, friends, household chores, ...) is in order. That’s how I learned early on to set limits for myself. With my brother, though, intervention was necessary because homework was being skipped in favor of watching TV. Let’s see how it works out with our children.

All I can wish you is good and sharp observation skills that notice issues before it’s too late. Because:
It’s no surprise you managed what your brother couldn’t. Boys generally behave quite differently than girls on average and tend to struggle more with discipline and extreme behavior.
Also, I’m talking about elementary school age here. What counts as “acceptable” grades and the minimum time allocated for friends—who decides that? The idea of self-limitation only works, yes, but with external boundaries in place, since children at a certain age simply can’t set those limits on their own.
So you do plan to intervene actively. Which I fully support.

chand1986 schrieb:
All I can do is wish you a keen and quick eye to catch things before they fall into the well. Because:
It’s no surprise that you managed what your brother couldn’t. Boys generally behave very differently from girls at this age and tend to be less disciplined and more extreme in their behavior.
Also, I’m talking about elementary school age here. What are considered "acceptable" grades and the minimum time to spend with friends? Who decides that? The idea of self-limitation at this age… well, yes, but only within boundaries set externally, because children at this stage simply cannot set those limits themselves.
So you intend to actively intervene, which I fully support.

Elementary school age, to me, is not yet the time when children can self-regulate. Sorry, I didn’t explain that clearly enough. We will set clear rules at this stage. I have a strong aversion to gaming consoles at this age. There will be none of their own, and the children will be in competition with the father (he’s the only one who has one).
The same applies to the TV. It stays in the living room and nowhere else. They will not get tablets but can use the family tablet. We will probably have to allow smartphones eventually, but usage can be limited to essential functions only (calls, and internet access only through Wi-Fi under my control). A PC will be allowed starting around secondary school.
Once they turn 10 (approximately), we will gradually loosen the rules. If things go well, they’ll have free rein. If not, we’ll rein things back in.
So far, we have been very consistent, but we’ll see how it goes with pubescent “monsters.” I’m hopeful that with my son, we have already laid a good foundation. With his sister, we will have to wait and see; she’s still developing.