[Slyfox]

The rule should be only one desk top in the den if the kids want to use the computer. And all the kids have to take turns. No laptops or pads in the kids bedrooms - in other words no laptops or pads. No personal cell phones until they can pay the bill themselves from their own job at the age of 16.

We also didn't let our boys do drivers training until they made Eagle.

There are rewards for being a tough parent.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Good rules. That’s pretty much what we did, too, and it worked out real well.

We had a shared family computer. Only one TV in the living room. No TVs in bedrooms. Kids got their own laptops and phones when they went off to college. I like the idea of no driving until Eagle Scout and making them pay for their own cell phones.

Video games were not allowed in our house except for a bare handful of carefully controlled computer games that were mainly disguised education (e.g., “Oregon Trail”). These were all out in the open on the family computer.

We did relent and let our son get an X-Box when he was a senior in HS. But, interestingly enough, he quickly outgrew it and within months it was gathering dust. Football, Baseball, Boy Scouts, family hikes and outings all took precedence. He sold it when he was in college.

[grania]

Another nice rule would be no smart phones for children. Or adults for that matter.

[SaraJohnson]

Great advice for parents.