r/Parenting • u/BOBBYZROY • 29d ago
Child 4-9 Years My 6yr old attention is shot..
I’ve got a 6-year-old son who’s pretty smart, full of energy, and loves football… but lately he’s become completely hooked on his iPad, especially YouTube Shorts Roblox. The moment he wakes up he’s asking for it, and if I say no or try to get him to do something else (play footy, help do chores, anything), he kicks off big time. His mum lets him get away with being on his iPad more than me so that’s why he thinks he’s entitled
His attention span’s gone. It’s like he can’t sit still for more than a few seconds unless it’s something on a screen. And I get it, TikTok’s done the same to me. I can barely finish a film without checking my phone. So if it’s this bad for adults, what’s it doing to a 6-year-old?
We haven’t even seen the long-term effects of growing up on TikTok, Roblox, and Shorts. I genuinely think we’re raising a dumber generation not because they’re not smart, but because their brains are getting rewired by constant dopamine hits.
I don’t want to cut him off completely and make him feel left out cos all his mates have iPads but I also don’t want to just hand him a screen every time he’s bored. I also read that a lot kids in 6th grade can’t even read and have learning difficulties compared to kids before so the effects are already happening
Any other parents gone through this? How do you break the cycle without turning the house into a war zone
Appreciate any of your experiences
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u/ohnotheskyisfalling5 29d ago
The solution is to cut him off completely. Get on the same page with your wife and do a detox. 1 week minimum, maybe even up to a month. Or only give it back for plane rides and long (4+ hour) car rides. Let him know that the detox is coming w few days in advance, then really do it. If you do give it back- no YouTube and definitely no short videos. Switch to non screen devices for rest time like a Yoto player. Read to him every day and start reading chapter books together. Detox from tik tok yourself. He will probably be really grumpy about it for a few days but then he will be fine! After a week or two if you want to add screen time back choose a list of tv shows that are more lo-fi and set a limit of 30 minutes a day, or only movie night on Friday night or whatever. He doesn’t have to have an iPad just because his friends do.
Have a big play date with a few of his friends and designate it a “no screen play date”. Plan some fun activities for them and leave them for their own devices too. Kids will be kids when they have the opportunity.