Toddlers and TV

[spacegirl81]

How much TV do your DCs watch and what time of the day? How old are they and does it effect their behaviour?

[Tractorandtree]

Ds1 is 4.9, ds2 is 18mths, they don't watch any. Occasionally (say once a month or so), ds1 will watch a DVD.

When dh used to let ds1 watch DVDs on a sat morning then he was always more grumpy/demanding etc especially when it was switched off. Dh now agrees that taking them out to the park etc or to play in the garden is much better.

I don't see the need for it and we don't have time for it anyway.

[Fairylea]

Well I have two dc, one 18 months and one 10 years and we tend to have the tv on most of the day. Not too loud and intrusively but it is on, we all like to have it on as background even if no one is actively watching it. I really don't care about all these studies about watching too much tv. Its not like its all we do, we go out everyday and always play with toys and each other too. Dd has always watched a lot of tv and she is top sets in everything and talked very quickly so in her case it hasn't done any harm.

I think every family is different and as long as its not all you're doing its fine. I couldn't cope without cbeebies first thing when ds wakes at 5.30am.

[phantomhairpuller]

It's always on in our house

I don't like not having the background noise tbh.

DS1 is 2.7 and has a few programs he likes to watch on cbeebies 1st thing (bob, postman pat etc) but after that it pretty much provides background noise whilst we go about our drawing/building/painting/dressing up etc

Ds2 is 6 months and takes no notice of the tv at all.

[phantomhairpuller]

Although that said, ds1 did recently discover that he could watch peppa pig on YouTube on the iPad.
I think of he had his way, he'd watch it most of the day.

The iPad is now banned apart from 1hr before tea time so I can make tea without being nagged

[heidihole]

DS is 18m and has one 15 min episode of Big Barn Farm on a DVD before bath/bed

Nothing else at all

[sillymillyb]

We used to have it on all the time but it lost its magical affect and was just background noise.

I now consider 9-5 my "working hours" where I turn off the tv and engage with ds as much as I can bare possible. Before 9 and after 5 though its on and I am fully appreciating the peppa pig channel as much as possible!

[StillNoFuckingEyeDeer]

DD1 is 2.9.
She watches tv in the morning while we do her hair & get her dressed and then watches a bit of the bedtime hour with DH after her bath.
Occasionally eg if I need her to stay in one place and not keep shouting at me for attention while I deal with something (like an overtired DD2) I let her watch something in the daytime.
Once the tv goes on it's a nightmare when it gets turned off. It's easier for me if it never goes on in the first place.

[ZuleikaD]

Don't have tv at all, but the DCs (DD 4.8, DS 3) are allowed to watch a couple of episodes of something on DVD or a short film at the weekend.

[wishingforwillpower]

DS is 18 months. We realised recently tv was creeping in to more and more of the day - we had meant to limit it to until 8am and after 6pm but it was often on more like until 9 and after 5 and sometimes in between. For the past week we have not put it on until 6.20pm (in the night garden) and the change in DS has been quite scarily remarkable - previously he would come home from nursery, tv would go on and we would often have a few hours of fractious whining, not settling to anything, and generally quite a stressful evening routine. Without the tv on he has been playing well and concentrating brilliantly, on drawing, books, jigsaws etc - like a different child at times! It does make me wonder how much of a distracting effect the constant background noise and colours of the tv has. I have to admit like other posters here I like background noise and always tend to have tv and radio on in the background so the silence has been a bit unnerving for me but the difference is massive and positive. We have also noticed that when the tv does go on now he will sit down and watch it for the 20 or so minutes before bath whereas before when it was on constantly he would glance at it and maybe stand in front of the tv for a minute at a time, but now he will sit on my knee and really focus and chat through what he is seeing.
I don't want to sound sanctimonious or anti-tv as I'm not at all, he still has it on for an hour or more in the mornings, am just amazed at the effect it seemed to be having which I hadn't been aware of. DS has never been great at concentrating at the best of times so I guess it makes sense that the distraction of the tv in the background isn't helpful when we are encouraging him to read or draw etc...

[MrsOakenshield]

DD is nearly 4 and watches up to 2 hours s day, maybe 2/3 days a week - hour in the morning, hour in the afternoon. Doesn't seem to affect her behaviour. I find it useful if she's getting tired and grumpy, and to get a few things done when I really don't want her to 'help'!

[spacegirl81]

thanks for all your replies! ive found its creeping in more and more, I also think less (but still some) would be better! DSs are always up at 6, and its a godsend while I have a cup of tea! DH is out at 6 so no help in the mornings either! think I will stick with an hour first thing and after tea and thats it and see how we go!

[stopgap]

We don't own a TV, either, but 2.5 year old son watches thirty minutes of Thomas, Peppa or Trumpton on the computer a couple of times a week. He didn't watch TV or videos at all until the last month or so, when I started to get exhausted in pregnancy.

[MinesAPintOfTea]

DS is 18 months. He's forever going to the TV and saying "Booob" forlornly but I generally ignore him. When I need to cook in the evening I stick Bob then Postman Pat on with iPlayer so its less than half an hour most days.

Rules go out the window if one of us is ill.

[theoldmiff]

I might sound old-fashioned, but I don't mind my son watching CBeebies, especially in the morning, as he loves the educational programmes like numberjacks and alphabloks. But I'm a bit mean and don't let him watch other channels or programmes I think are a bit more mindless, or any channels with adverts. I think it drives my older kids a bit potty, but, they are great now and tend to stick to CBBC or documentaries when it's their turn to choose a programme. And generally, they are all pretty good and will tend to watch one programme before they get bored and want to start playing something.

[slothlike]

Ds (3.3) is allowed to watch up to an hour of DVD episodes per day - often it's less. If any of his bad behaviour (which I think is a pretty standard amount for a 3 year old) is linked to TV then I haven't picked up on it! He rarely whines when it's turned off etc.

When he goes to my PILs', he watches much more TV - we don't go there much so tend to stay for a few days. I do notice that his behaviour deteriorates there pretty rapidly, although whether or not that's linked to TV I'm unsure.

[Prozacbear]

I don't mind DS (2.8) watching a bit of TV. But like most people, it's only Cbeebies or a DVD I've bought him.

Usually the TV will go on after supper and before bath i.e. 6.20 (In the Night Garden, obvs) and will be off before the bedtime story they have on CBeebies (some of the guests really creep me out - David Hasselhoff?!)

At the weekend I'm a bit more relaxed; don't mind him watching an hour or so while I potter, clean, cook etc. But we then balance that with trips to the farm/playground/soft play. I approach his TV watching similarly to my own: don't watch crap and don't watch constantly.

A bit of TV doesn't seem to do any harm - if I ask him to switch it off he'll give me The Look but will zap it off. Only thing is, this morning he woke up early and asked for the TV. I said no, and he managed to negotiate me to ten minutes! Bloody CBeebies, teaching him diplomacy...

[MrsOakenshield]

I should say that at nearly 4 DD has started turning the TV off when she's done, and has started to choose what she wants to watch rather than just whatever is on CBeebies (she's really taken against Mr Bloom for some reason! And won't watch Waybaloo or ITNG any more, in fact the latter positively enrages her), so all in all I don't think it's a bad thing - it's still all learning and development. I only ever watch what I want to, rather than channel hopping all evening unlike DH, though she rarely sees us watch TV, unless it's something big like Mo Farah or the Royal Wedding. I hustled into bed on Saturday so we could watch Doctor Who!

[mrscog]

DS is 20 months and we tend to watch a couple of episodes of In the Night Garden a day. I am ok with him watching a few 'low octane' programmes. I think a lot of the CBeebies output is too overstimulating for under 3's. I also put Postman pat on sometimes, but I prefer my old DVDs like Mr Men with Arthur Lowe and Rainbow - I don't know why TV has to be so in your face for such young children!

[thegoldenfool]

DC1 is 2.4 DC2 is almost 4 months

we didn´t watch any until about 6 months ago and now have you tube peppa pig, teletubbies etc with breakfast whilst we are on the computer etc (we all eat together for all meals normally but in my head we are doing the equivalent of reading the newspaper for breakfast) and also for half an hour/ an hour before bed - always with an adult around

• she gets very scared by the funny lady in teletubbies so even in the childrens programs I feel happier being nearby

I can see the baby is fascinated which worries me more as she´ll end up watching much more younger

[Artandco]

Only have netflixs here also on iPad no live tv but they prob watch maybe once a month or so. Def not part of daily routine. They are very good at entertaining themselves when we are busy

[Welshwabbit]

Just "In the Night Garden", and not every night (although this does sometimes lead to mournful repetitions of "Taccalacca" - his word for Makka Pakka). Although we do also have the rugby on in the afternoons on Saturday/Sunday sometimes. Hmmm, maybe big blokes bashing the shit out of each other not the best role models...