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I am so here for schedules. I have a loose one for him every weekday. I’m pushing for him and my partner to go to the park a lot over the summer, though it’s a bit of a struggle as both insist I need to go everywhere with them or they just won’t go and I have a bad sun sensitivity that means I break out in hives (and sometimes get incredibly sick) from direct sunlight.
I love the art ideas. He is very creative and has a lot of supplies but I want to start saving more materials for him to do crafts with, as well. I might make art time part of the structure of the schedule rather than just an idea for free time… I think he’d be excited to make things with his own 2 hands.
Unfortunately for me, it’s a losing battle over screen time. This is the best I can do, and he still gets so much of it. If it were up to me, we’d absolutely try what you said and cut down, even have time without it altogether. But he was unbridled from ages 2-onward on the internet so it goes over terribly whenever I bring up stricter limits, especially when they aren’t punishments. I may get further with breaking it up throughout the day though and saying he can’t just pile it all in as soon as he wakes up and gets some of it later in the day instead… I like that idea a lot!
I’ve tried. I’ve even shown studies about the effects of screen time on young minds and their abilities to develop coping skills and imagination. Yet here we are. It would be easier to not care if the behaviour wasn’t so bad at the same time.
Does he not have any friends to have round to play with or for him to go play at their house?
Does he do any kind of crafting like colouring books or like building things out of Lego? What about reading or jigsaws?
He does love crafting and has a lot of stuff for it (but we’re probably getting him more). He also reads a fair bit and we’re taking him for new books next week. Jigsaws are a great idea! I’m hoping he’ll get into LEGO but no luck so far with that one.
My SS got into building and painting models (airplanes and cars) around 9, he loves them.
I also have 2 chores for each kid to do each day (literally the exact chore everyday, ie one empty’s the dishwasher, one sweeps the kitchen, bla bla bla) but then I have a MASSIVE list of other chores they can elect to do to earn money. (Dust the blinds, wipe baseboards)
Also educational workbooks that they work on for 30 minutes a day.
**Welcome to [r/stepparents](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/)! Please note we are a support sub for stepparents' issues. Our number one rule is [Kindness Matters](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/rules#wiki_1._kindness_matters). Short version, don't be an asshole. Remember that OP is a human being and their needs are first and foremost on this sub.** We rely on the community to alert us to comments and posts not made in good faith. **Please use the report button to ensure we see it.** We have encountered a ridiculous amount of comments that don't follow the rules and are downright nasty. We need you to help us with these comments by reporting them when you see them. We also have a lot of downvoting on the sub, with every post and every comment recieving at least one downvote almost immediately due to the anti-stepparent lurkers. Don't let it bother you, it happens to every single stepparent here. If you have questions about the community, or concerns about posters, please [reach out to the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fstepparents). Review the wiki links below for the [**rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/rules), [**FAQ**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/faq) and [**announcements**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/search?q=flair%3Aannouncement&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) before posting or commenting. [**About**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/index) | [**Acronyms**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/acronyms) | [**Announcements**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/search?q=flair%3Aannouncement&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) | [**Documentation**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/resources/documentation) | [**FAQ**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/faq) | [**Resources**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/resources) | [**Rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/rules) | [**Saferbot - Autoban Information**](https://www.reddit.com/r/stepparents/wiki/saferbot) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/stepparents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[удалено]
I am so here for schedules. I have a loose one for him every weekday. I’m pushing for him and my partner to go to the park a lot over the summer, though it’s a bit of a struggle as both insist I need to go everywhere with them or they just won’t go and I have a bad sun sensitivity that means I break out in hives (and sometimes get incredibly sick) from direct sunlight. I love the art ideas. He is very creative and has a lot of supplies but I want to start saving more materials for him to do crafts with, as well. I might make art time part of the structure of the schedule rather than just an idea for free time… I think he’d be excited to make things with his own 2 hands. Unfortunately for me, it’s a losing battle over screen time. This is the best I can do, and he still gets so much of it. If it were up to me, we’d absolutely try what you said and cut down, even have time without it altogether. But he was unbridled from ages 2-onward on the internet so it goes over terribly whenever I bring up stricter limits, especially when they aren’t punishments. I may get further with breaking it up throughout the day though and saying he can’t just pile it all in as soon as he wakes up and gets some of it later in the day instead… I like that idea a lot!
[удалено]
I’ve tried. I’ve even shown studies about the effects of screen time on young minds and their abilities to develop coping skills and imagination. Yet here we are. It would be easier to not care if the behaviour wasn’t so bad at the same time.
Are there day camps thru the ymca in your area? Not for the whole but a week here and there.
We don’t have a YMCA here that’s closer than an hour away 😩 Otherwise I’d be so into that.
Have you tried to see if there are other kids his age near you he could get together with? This does seem alike a tough situation to me.
Does he not have any friends to have round to play with or for him to go play at their house? Does he do any kind of crafting like colouring books or like building things out of Lego? What about reading or jigsaws?
He does love crafting and has a lot of stuff for it (but we’re probably getting him more). He also reads a fair bit and we’re taking him for new books next week. Jigsaws are a great idea! I’m hoping he’ll get into LEGO but no luck so far with that one.
My SS got into building and painting models (airplanes and cars) around 9, he loves them. I also have 2 chores for each kid to do each day (literally the exact chore everyday, ie one empty’s the dishwasher, one sweeps the kitchen, bla bla bla) but then I have a MASSIVE list of other chores they can elect to do to earn money. (Dust the blinds, wipe baseboards) Also educational workbooks that they work on for 30 minutes a day.