Limiting computer time

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2006
Limiting computer time
15
Wed, 10-18-2006 - 7:48am

How do you limit your teen's computer time?


My 12yo DD is following the path of her older sister with too much time on the computer and I want to nip it in the bud!


She comes home from school and immediately starts IMing. I give her some time to do this or to just relax after school and then she has to get to her homework. When it's time to start hw, she procrastinates and I have a hard time getting her off the pc. Every chance she gets, she will try to break from her hw and check out the pc. When she's done with hw she will spend as much time on it as possible and will do so until it's time for bed.


If she has hw that requires the use of the pc, she is constantly getting interrupted with IMing and does some herself. If I tell her to turn IM off, it only goes back on when I leave the room.


I can't turn it off because I work from home and need access to it as well.


Any thoughts or suggestions?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Thu, 10-19-2006 - 11:14am

So, disconnect the internet.
Does the computer have multiple accounts on it? It should if it is XP.

Set up your account as the Admistrator. Have it password protected and change the password frequently. Make it hard to decode. You can set it up that the administrator has to OK all
downloads. You can also set it up that only the admistrator can "connect" the internet.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-29-2005
Thu, 10-19-2006 - 12:30pm
We moved the computer from the spare bedroom to the front room. We changed their passwords so they have to ask us to log them on now. Computer is not available to them until homework is finished. If computer is needed to complete homework then I cruise in and out of the room constantly. No music is allowed during computer use for homework. We told them the next to go was myspace all together if nonsence doesn't stop,

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-18-2005
Thu, 10-19-2006 - 10:04pm

I think you can focus more on outcomes than on process. My DD15 listens to music while doing homework, and IMs sometimes (although much less now). At first it bugged me, but as long as her work gets done, and her grades are acceptable, I let it go. I remember as a teen, I always had music on while studying. It drove my parents nuts, but it didn't bother me - I liked the background music while working.

When my DD was IMing alot (a year or so ago), I pointed out to her that doing IM *and* homework at the same time took much much longer. If she just did homework, it was over with much faster. Again, focussing on the outcome - finishing homework within a reasonable time - rather than how she went about it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Fri, 10-20-2006 - 10:44am

You have a point, although the music would bother me.
I don't like my DS to listen to music either. It stops him from "fully" engaging in his work.

As for IMing,it depends on what is being chatted about. My kids would talk about homework.
When DS is writing up a lab with his lab partner, they IM each other to discuss the write-up. It's faster than phone calling & it frees up the phone. Plus, in the case of some of my kids' classmates, it is easier to get ahold of them by IMing. For example, my son can not keep track of where his lab partner is (at his father's or mother's or one of his grandparent's).

The DD IMing his classmates as well and still does now in college. The kids would IM messages like "Did you get problem #2 in the Calc homework? ...

IMing can be a very useful tool,if it is not abused. The trick is to know your kids and monitor their usuage of it.

Avatar for suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-1997
Fri, 10-20-2006 - 3:35pm

For us, we never got into the IM'ing thing so that hasn't been an issue, but with the music, I don't mind the iPod so much, but if he's on iTunes, he'll get distracted by the online videos.

Sue

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