Mum guilt over children’s TV! 📺

[C4SKI]

I’ve got a 16 month old and am trying not to have the TV on too much but I know it’s on way more than I’m happy with. It started off as helping him to establish a daily routine (morning tellytubbies with morning milk, then bedtime milk with a wind down show etc) but there are days where I’ve realised it’s been on a lot during the day when we’re not out! 😞 Often just for background noise so it’s not complete silence. My little one doesn’t watch it all the time even if it’s on but I have such terrible guilt when he does watch it even if in the background! I’m finding it hard to keep up the energy with keeping him entertained (I’m heavily pregnant with younger sibling) and worried it’ll get even worse when the newbie is here. He has plenty of books and toys and happily plays by himself and with us...by does anyone else have and tips or recommendations on how to fill their time without the tv! I’ve read so many bad things about letting them watch tv too young so really want to curb it a bit! Help! 🙏🏻

I used to be the same. Now I consider the CBeebies housemates extended members of the family
That's no help, sorry

I swear I don’t mean this snarkily but why not just switch it off?

My dc who was stuck in the hospital a lot and watched tv continuously had a great side effect of learning to read without being taught, by watching tv with subs. TV isn't all bad.

Radio?

I was great about TV until I had dd2 when dd1 was 18 months. Then the TV went on a lot! Both dc have survived. It is one of those things I thought was a big deal at the time but now I think I was sweating the small stuff.

We listen to music- nursery rhymes or just the radio. DD is 20 months. She doesn’t watch tv at all but does try and steal her brothers tablet every chance she gets lol

@iamtheoneandonlyyy

I used to be the same. Now I consider the CBeebies housemates extended members of the family That's no help, sorry

We call it the CBeebiesitter

I have good news for you, OP - there is absolutely no evidence that any amount of television is harmful. Any correlations can be explained by other factors, for example yes if your child watches loads of TV every day while constantly knocking back crisps they will gain weight. However if your child watches loads of TV, doesn't incessantly snack and also gets some exercise they'll be fine.

The Royal College of Paediatricians has some good advice on this. Otherwise, stop reading about it

There is a global pandemic on and you're pregnant. Cut yourself some slack.

I thought I’d done fairly well to limit the amount of tv watching when mine were tiny
However the other day my 18 year old was remembering all the tv shows she’d watch as a preschooler - with the help of google!

It was loads and made it sound like all we ever did was watch telly - we didn’t

But she’s survived and become a capable young person
So don’t worry too much op