To have children's tv on all day?

[ispentitwithyou]

I am more or less a Sahm (i work Sundays) to a one year old. We have our own little routine during the week and I like to think we do a lot of fun activities,games and learning during the day through a combination of structured and unstructured play and also just letting her sit and play by herself whilst I tidy up mumsnet however we seem to have fallen into the habit of having children's tv on in the background all day.......

Example: we will be playing with her dolls house and taking no notice of the tv (but the volume is on) a song will come on and we will probably stop and singalong to it, then carry on playing....

Bad for her concentration?

Distracting?

Interfering with some vital part of development?

Not to drip feed,her speech is advanced for her age(so people tell me) and we get out for a walk everyday weather permitting

Thanks

Hv has said that dds vocabulary is that of an 18 month old at least,we do activities all day and are constantly conversing which I think helps. I must stress as in my op we rarely sit and watch,it is more background noise.

Confused as to how the tv can effect fitness?

That is surely more of a lifestyle factor generally? As I said we get out and about every day too

Xmas markets tomorrow

exit pursued by a bear I do think a small amount of tv everyday is fine actually, however I have lurked on these boards for three years and am always surprised by how my views are changed by some of the very eloquent and insightful posters on here. Was interested in a difference of opinion and prepared to moderate my own views. If you'd bothered to read the whole thread you would see that I am going to change the way i do things in regards to the tv yes.

When DS was little we used to have it on for bedtime hour which we watched together and maybe an hour at some other point (usually split) on days when I was not working.

I tend to think having it on constantly interferes with play as they have one eye on the telly and don't fully engage with what they are doing. This may not be apparent at one but will get worse! My 8 yo can't hold a conversation when the telly is on if he is engrossed!

We have a rule of no telly (or computer games) before school which we have always stuck to and DS accepts as our normal.

I think that is more or less what I will be enforcing in this house [pixie] as in not let my husband have it on too much around her either.

Probably half an hour in the morning,another half an hour around lunchtime and then night garden at bedtime of course!

" ispentitwithyou Mon 17-Nov-14 23:15:49
Pamish,why do the two things have to be mutually exclusive?"

Re Mozart: well, if it's to provide space-filling sounds, then Wolfgang wins hands down. Agree with all those saying at least 2 y o before any screens. But there are 'studies' that Mozart, in particular, has unique qualities re calming brainwaves. I just did a quick search for updates, this paper icep.ie/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/OSullivan.pdf is a fairly recent summary, though mostly about older children.

I know that I like to have some sounds in the house. For working to, I play a lot of plainsong/chant - with lyrics in Latin I don't get distracted by the words.

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I can't stand the TV running constantly in the background. My (working class parents) and much of my family finds it okay.

DS1 had no screen time until two, but it got too hard after that. He's 3.2 and watches fifteen minutes of Trumpton/Thomas/Peter Rabbit before his nap, and the same before bed, with a longer movie every few weeks. I'd say his language is about average for his age, but his ability to concentrate when required is excellent.

pamish what you describe sounds very middle class...did you not rtft where it became apparent I have the tv on therefore am working class?

Seriously though I do like that idea! I used to play classical music a lot in pregnancy. Our downtime/calm time is usually out of the house as we have a Shetland pony and we will spend hours walking or at the stables.

Classic fm it is then tomorrow! Though not too early else I'll never wake up!

We didn't have a tv or a pony, or even Mozart. I dont know how I ever managed to pass my 11+.

And now class comes into the debate...will we never escape the concept?

We have classical music on a fair bit, but annoyingly even that seems to distract the DCs from playing really well. Maybe they just have really rubbish concentration skills

If I had a bigger house I would probably put a radio on in a different room or something but this place is TINY so any sound just fills the space IYSWIM.

I want MN radio to happen!!!! That would be amazing.

Possible djs -
Emma Willis
Sara Cox
Miranda
Caitlin Moran
Katy Hopkins - for an AIBU hour
VB for a little style & beauty

No Fearne Cotton please.

Having CBBs on all day could drive literally drive a person crazy. I'm surprised you've made it this far.

I remember relying heavily on TV to get through the days with toddlers as a SAHM - the winter months are grueling. I really sympathize with your position. But if you don't turn it off, she'll never delight at it being on and really lose herself in a program.

I felt a bit like you. Make small changes like not putting it on first thing. And not putting it on when you come straight back in from an outside adventure.

Cbeebies does a radio programme. I am a teacher and sometimes when they all needed calming down I would put it on and get them to lie down with their eyes closed and listen to it.

An idea for when she's older perhaps, don't pressure yourself about it now.

I've had a quick scan through the thread, and not sure if anyone's mentioned the fact that it's a huge waste of electricity to have the TV on all day just for background noise.

I'm not at all anti-television, but if it's on it's because we are watching something specific.

CD's or the radio are better for background noise/dipping in and out.

I was brought up not to have the TV on during the day and it still doesn't seem right to me. I can hear my mum's voice in my head "turn that rubbish off". I've just gone in maternity leave so it's the first time in my life I've been home in the day, day in, day out. I'm not especially precious about kids watching TV, but out of personal preference I'd have radio on for background noise and the TV goes on about 5.30. The only exception to this is cricket which I keep on all day during the summer!

Kids telly drives me insane. So irritating.

I only put on the TV (well Iplayer or similar on the PC as we have no TV) if I need the headspace to do something else. So I let them chose a 10min programme in the morning after they have got their shoes on and before we go on the school run (DCs are 4 and 6). I need that 10 mins to get my stuff and their stuff together to get out of the house.
And I put it on for upto half an hour while I make dinner in the evening. If they are playing nicely though (rarely happens tbh especially at that time of day) I don't put it on.
At the weekend, no TV till the end of the day. About 30mins while I get the dinner on.
If I have the TV on constantly, they would not be sitting down quitely when I need them to, it only works if I limit the time. I'd rather they sat and watched and concentrated on the programme for that 30mins than watch it while playing and concentrating on neither.
Plus most kids TV I find very annoying to listen to so for my sanity I limit TV time. Although I have recently discovered Amazon Prime streaming and we have been watching things like the Gruffalo and I now I wish I could sit with them and watch it instead of having to cook dinner!

For background noise I do sometimes put music on (Putumayo CDs I love) and DH has the radio on sometimes. I find it easy to limit their screen time because we are usually out and about a lot.

stopgap

I can't stand the TV running constantly in the background. My (working class parents) and much of my family finds it okay.

This describes us exactly too. We don't actually have channels as we never installed an aerial at our new house and no TV license. We just watch Netflix and movies after baby DS is in bed. This means he never gets to watch TV!

He's only 6 months old but maybe in a year or so when he's old enough to appreciate it more and not just mindlessly stare at the pretty colours and noises, I will put a kiddie film on or let him watch the odd Ceebeebies thing on iPlayer while I make lunch.

At the moment he is really active and happy to lollop around playing with his toys and learning to crawl with occasional intervention from me, for up to an hour, or more if I change his surroundings and take him into different rooms while I do odd jobs round the house - I wouldn't want TV as a distraction from this playtime.

If you're both doing other stuff I don't see an issue.

People of my mums generation (mums through late 70's/80s) will tell you otherwise as that's what they were brought up to believe. Whether it's indeed detrimental is irrelevant in this group.

Mums of 90's to now seem to care less. Regardless of studies saying it's good bad or indifferent.

As the country has gone to hell in a hand basket via my mums generation and through those to the 90s I'm partial to ignoring and doing what suits me

We had no TV at all for DC for the first few years. Now we have one 'Film night' a week - they take turns choosing what to watch. Sometimes it's a film, sometimes it's episodes of a TV series (we record stuff). DC are 7, 5 and 3. Still never have it on in the daytime, they just amuse themselves. I don't really see what more TV would add for any of us.

Also, I don't really see where it would fit in on a daily basis? After school, the DC play for an hour, then we have dinner, then it's homework / bath time / reading. The eldest comes downstairs for a bit longer, and plays a game with one of us or reads a book. I wouldn't especially want to replace any of those activities with TV.

wolfbasherNo activities are substituted to watch tv I must state, we do activities,read,go out all day,what the original thread was about is that we have the tv on as background noise don't even watch it! Will move from room to room with the hum of it in the living room[ grin]

I have been thinking today and I think the reason i do it is because I am a sahm and she doesn't go to nursery. I feel there are many benefits to her being at home with me but one thing i worry that is missing is something I find difficult yo articulate... I think its that energy'in a room that she would have at nursery that I suppose I try to recreate at home. That hustle and bustle that as one adult i struggle to provide when home. Though I do try!

We have been to the stables,market and sensory today though so no need at all for tv

Take the waste of electricity points....

Also with regards to the class issue being brought up,it's interesting but it was ascertained by someone that I was obviously working class three posts in!

i put videos on and my toddler did watch tv. i had 3 dc under 4 and it meant i could get things done.

it wasn't on all day but thank goodness for it.

2 at uni now so it can't be that detrimental

There's no reason for a child under 2 to watch any television at all.

But having said that, I don't think that having the TV on in the background will be particularly harmful. If the child were glued to the TV for hours each day, that would be a problem. Then again, I don't think children should be "stimulated" for all their waking hours either.

I watched an appalling amount of TV as a child (I was the youngest, I think my parents were happy to snatch a few quiet minutes any way they could ). But I also read an enormous amount, wrote stories, played outside, rode my bicycle, etc. I think screen time should be limited far more than my parents chose to do, but I managed to have a childhood rich in other experiences even with their laissez-faire attitude.

OP...did my first reduced TV day today after the course yesterday. DD had an hour in the morning and the bedtime hour only. Great results even on day 1. She was more alternative, engaged, curious. Could have been a 1 off of course but it's promising

Just reflecting on this and oddly when ever the TV goes on first thing, we have a really rubbish start to the day.