Does anyone else not let their toddler watch any TV?

[AlbertaWildRose]

DS is 21 months. DH and I have chosen to not let him watch any television at all until he's older; we never, ever have the TV on while he's awake and he doesn't even know what it is. In speaking with friends I'm really feeling like I'm in the minority, so I'm wondering if anyone else does this? I am not trying to say that this is a better approach, just what we have chosen to do.

[FairyMum]

I let mine watch, but I have friends who don't let theirs watch and I think its a good idea tbh.

[No1ErmaBombeckfan]

Good for you..

We did this with our first, but things just went downhill when no.2 came onto the scene...

I know too much TV is bad for my kids, but only having one living room, it is a temptation and it gets switched on regularly regardless os whether mum wants it on or not...

[AlbertaWildRose]

That's exactly why we're doing this, I really don't want DS to be turning the TV on and wanting to watch it all the time. I'd like to put that off as long as possible!

[FairyMum]

You might find this thread I started interesting:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/67/500367

It was in response to many posts I have seen on MN where 3 year-olds watch Star Wars etc. Your toddler is obviously going to be so behind these advanced star wars-watchers

[AlbertaWildRose]

Ooh, FairyMum, great thread, thanks for the link. I remember being at my BIL and SIL's house with their DS who was about 4 at the time, and they were letting him watch CSI!!! That show is always really gory and so inappropriate for children, imo.

I really look forward to having fun, snuggly, family time watching films together, but not for a few years yet.

[mrsgboring]

Alberta, I do think it's a good idea, but with a bit of a caveat. DS had a nasty stomach bug when he was about 22 months, and couldn't really play at all. However, children are of course programmed to get bored doing nothing at all, and Teletubbies DVDs were an absolute godsend to get him through that time.

DS had barely been exposed to any videos, TV or anything like it, and it was a bit of a problem to get him to understand it was something to watch, so I was glad he'd seen it a tiny bit before he got sick. He was (and is) also very very picky about what he would watch (at that age only Teletubbies, but we have since added Tweenies and Pingu to our repertoire in case of future illness)

DS is fairly well self-limiting with DVDs. He had a couple of weeks of heavy Tweenies use but now he voluntarily doesn't have more than about half an hour a week. Most days he doesn't think to ask at all and we're a don't offer don't refuse household.

[cazzybabs]

yep.

[Fillyjonk]

my kids watch, but relatively little. Maybe an hour a week?

most of what they watch is because they are home educated. the attenborough docs are fabulous and great for 2 + (screen them first-some are a bit gory. we mainly watch the plant one though which is rather safe . ) oh and numberjacks is good. I digress.

what i DO find is that they will self limit quite fast.

think you're doing the right thing, a 21 mo does not need tv.

My kids don't nag for the latest toy, are brilliant at entertaining themselves for hours with a cardboard box (this is very useful) and they have fabulous concentration spans-I read most of little house on the prarie to ds (4) and dd1 (2) in a sitting last week. ds is definetly pretty unsophisticated, and i really can live with that!

otoh, I have 3 kids under 5, I do sometimes need a break (or to buy food online) and then it DOES go on, I'm afraid!)

[lennied]

I let my 15 month old watch 10-15 minutes of 'In the night garden' whilst I finish off and dish up the tea each evening. I can cook whilst carrying her or letting her toddle round the kitchen but I don't like her being near the hot pots when I'm serving. It keeps her in one place wher I can keep an eye on her and at that time of the day she is tired and agitated so wouldn't let me put her down without a distraction. Saying that I think you are doing the right thing, TV is just convenient for me but I don't think it does them much good.

[Gemzooks]

I agree, my 18 month old watches about 10 mins of tv a week and only things like nature programmes.. good on you!

[levan]

My dd is 21 mths and doesn't watch at all. If and when she does we will try to limit it as much as possible. She is my first though and as others have said I imagine it's more difficult with subsequent children.

[cockles]

We didn't watch any til ds was 2 (4 months ago), then graduated to the night garden once a week. But now he is obsessed with it & it drives me nuts. I do wonder whether I should let him watch it more in the hope he goes off it all again. But what if he doesn't?

[DaddyJ]

This has been on my mind lately..
dd (22 months) is getting more and more hooked on watching telly.
Today she pointed at the TV and said 'Beebies!'.
Which depressed me somewhat.

My main bugbear is indiscriminate, constant watching of tosh,
i.e. when the TV is on the whole time while dd plays in front of it.

[AlbertaWildRose]

Thanks for your responses. I only have DS, so I'm sure it gets harder with more children. I also think it will probably get more complicated as he gets older, because, while I don't want him to feel excluded from his friends, I don't want to bow to pressure from other parents as to what they let their children watch. My parents really restricted my television viewing when I was young, and I honestly think it helped stimulate my imagination and encouraged my life-long love affair with books!

[AlbertaWildRose]

Oh yes, DaddyJ, I agree with you, I really can't stand it when the TV is on all the time in the background. Either watch it, or turn it off! I also can't stand the TV on in the daytime, especially if it's a nice sunny day, I just want to go outside instead!

[sabotage]

DS only watches a little bit of Cbeebies, but one time I was watching the news and he was in the kitchen and there was footage of a tiger on one of the news items, so i called him "Quick quick there's a tiger!" as he loves tigers he's 2. He runs in and just then it dawns on me what the news item is about and this tiger pounces on an Indian villager and drags him bloody and screaming down the banks of a river with the rest of the village running after him yelling. They were trying to drive a tiger out of a village in India and it had turned on one of them (he did get free but it was very bloody). I was scrabbling around for the remote control panicing trying to turn the damn thing off while DS stands staring wide eyed. I turn it off and he looks at me all grinning from ear to ear and says "Tiger caught man!" I think he thought they were playing catch I was really shaken up but DS was delighted (shaken up that I'd called him in to watch it, not shaken up about the tiger attack!)

[KristinaM]

we did this with our first child but its gone by the board now we have lots

[TheAntiFlounce]

Ds1 (aged 5) is terrified of the numberjacks

[suedonim]

Neither of my first two dc watched much TV because, being born in the 70's, it didn't really exist, apart from the 15mins of Watch With Mother. Ds1 is almost 33yo (how did that happen??) and still watches virtually no TV at all. Ds2 is 28 and whilst not a huge TV fan he likes films and sci-fi stuff. Oh, and the Chuckle Brothers. Ds1 is studying for his doctorate, while ds2 is a doctor of psychology.

My dd's have definitely seen a lot more TV than their brothers. Dd2 is the most influenced by TV in that she has asked for things she's seen but it's not been a major strife in our house. Dd1 is doing well at uni and dd2, at 12yo, is shaping up to follow in her siblings' footsteps.

I don't think watching TV in itself is a problem, it's whether we as parents take an interest in our dc's viewing that counts.

[alfiesbabe]

It's about balance isnt it? I personally wouldnt make a point of never having the TV on with young children around, because they could end up swinging the other way and wanting to watch indiscriminately as they get older because it's forbidden. Also, it's not going to be long before he's asking what the hell that thing in the corner is for! But definitely be selective about viewing. there are some fantastic programmes on btw, so don't be an extremist and think all telly is evil.

[puffling]

We weren't allowed to watch telly till I was 8, then only nature/science docs etc!! I'm now an indiscriminate telly junkie.
My niece has watched telly all day (Cbeebies, Nickeleodeon) all her life and her reception teacher says she has thee longest attention span in the class. She has a wide vocab and occupies herself playing alone and with her sister.
The above, I know, are only anecdotes, but it does annoy me when people decide the tv is the bogeyman without considering exactly why they think this.

[FasterPussyCatGrrrl]

my TV is usually on, and i feel guilty about it, but i find being home quite lonely, and i like having the 'conversation'. I have GMTV and the Wright Stuff on every weekday. I let DS1 watch some Cbeebies, as there aren't any adverts.

But we go out each day (weather permitting), crayon, read, play...He's also in bed early, and never watches anything too adult.

I do try and turn it off, but i get very bored. Toddlers conversation skills are somewhat limited.

I have the Blue Planet box set somewhere, which i keep meaning to put on, but i can't flipping find it.

Will be trying to put the radio on for a few hours each day instead though.

[DaddyJ]

FPCG, my wife could have written your post
and I do think it's a valid and relevant point.
Part of the reason why I have not really brought it up yet.

Alberta, that's precisely why I dislike excessive TV consumption:
It strikes me as an intellectual short-cut that does nothing for a child's imagination.

Having said that, there are at least two examples of total telly addicts in our families
(TV was basically their babysitter) and both are perfectly happy, well-adjusted individuals
who have done very well academically and in general.

[FrannyandZooey]

we don't have a tv
ds occasionally watches something on YouTube eg nature clips
he has been riveted by a cartoon film at someone else's house
and may well turn into square eyed person when older, but for now I am happy to know that he is filling the day with things other than tv

I feel we have less pressure about brands and buying in this house because there is no tv, that's one very positive effect for me

[IndigoMoon]

i did not let watch dd watched tv until she was coming up to two. i did not want to her her watch it then but we moved house and we were in a terrible state and most of the house was dangerous for her. when i needed to wash up and do stuff it kept her in a room for a short while.

however the viewing has escalated from there and i would probably say she watches too much now. she is on rations this morning and then we are going to the park/shopping etc and then it is off for the rest of the day - i know when we get back later though it is the first question she will ask!!!! and ask!!! and ask!!!!!

ds takes no notice of it at the moment.

well done for not letting him watch it i think it is better in the long term