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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask how much TV your kids watch? Be honest.

102 replies

PerfectPeony2 · 26/09/2019 11:43

Before I had my daughter I told myself she would hardly ever watch TV, not have a dummy, play with wooden toys and not eat chips until she was 5.

15 months down the line with a highly strung toddler. I must admit I have the TV on for most of the day when we are home. Whether it be Peppa/ Duggee/ my Netflix programmes, I have it on in the background. It keeps DD entertained and makes me feel less isolated.

I spend loads of time playing with her, go to toddler groups on each of my days off, play outside, she goes to nursery 3 days a week. She is doing really well.

Just wondering what the norm is here? I know I watched a lot of TV as a kid and I’d like to think I turned out okay...

OP posts:
thespellhasbeenbroken123 · 26/09/2019 20:18

Loads..

They don't have iPads, phones or any games consoles though so I can sleep at night??

mockorangey · 26/09/2019 20:26

Mine are 5 and 2. At weekends, DS has a 2 hour limit on his Kindle and uses all of it! DD usually watches with him.

On weekdays he has an hour limit, which he may or may not use depending on whether it is a childminder day or if grandparents are doing the childcare. Grandparents seem to put on lots of tv for the younger one when they look after her- I don't want to know how much!

Sipperskipper · 26/09/2019 20:34

DD is 2.5 and barely any. We don’t have a TV (although do have laptop / iPad for DH and I to watch box sets on etc) so she doesn’t really passively watch anything. We might watch a film together on a rainy afternoon (she loves Wallace and Gromit!) but not very often.

She is our only though, and I work very part time, so I do have a lot of time to spend doing things with her. Saying that, she also now knows that I can’t just play all day. When I’m cooking / cleaning etc she will either help me, or potter with her books and toys on her own.

Allington · 26/09/2019 20:49

DD is 12. No TV, but screen time on her tablet, probably 1-2 hours per day during the week. That includes music, which she loves, and while there is a visual element it is little different to listening to music on the radio.

The rules are school, after-school activities (she has a dance class every day, sometimes 2), and homework have priority. Screens go off at 8pm (an hour before bedtime), for a shower/bath, snack if she wants it, brush teeth, have a cuddle and chat with me etc. She can read in bed, or listen to the radio or audiobooks, but no screens. She reads for pleasure, fiction and non fiction.

Weekends have more screen time, but again, it fits around the more important activities. And also I encourage watching programmes that involve a degree of sustained focus, so if she is watching endless mindless snippets on youtube I am more likely to make her switch off than if she was listening to music or watching something that had some sort of challenge to attention and thought.

As a previous poster has said, it is not screen time as such, as screen time can cover a range of positive options. It is screen time pushing out other activities, especially physical activity.

I think our children need to learn to handle technology as it develops, rather than shut it out altogether. To understand the potential drawbacks and the potential positives, and fit it into their lives in a constructive way, as part of a range of leisure and educational activities.

HJWT · 26/09/2019 20:54

@PerfectPeony2 Its not a great question Op because it depends on the family also doesn't it, whether the child is in school or if the younger child is in nursery 5 days a week etc

If my DD was in nursery 5 days a week I would never let her watch cartoons maybe for an hour at the weekend, but she isn't, I am a SAHM and she only goes 1 full day, there is only so many games I can play with her, only so many times we can go to soft play etc!

I think as long as it doesn't get to a point were they are CONSTANTLY asking for it rather than playing with toys etc! Then your fine 😁

switswoo81 · 26/09/2019 21:06

As my dear mammy always says about me and my little brother if I get the guilts.
"ye were reared on tv and ye both have masters "
So yes mine do watch tv I dont limit it. They are preschoolers in childcare 3 days a week.
Over the summer hardly any at all (I was off) for the next few months probably a good bit. Love a bit of Ben and Holly.
I teach 5 year olds and have had kids fall asleep after been up all night on the iPad so we just have a tv in sitting room and no individual screens.

Mummyshark2019 · 26/09/2019 21:08

7 year old. 30 mins a day if that. Some days, none.

AfterSchoolWorry · 26/09/2019 21:10

TV ?

Nothing, nada, zilch.

YouTube, sims ,Minecraft 100%

I don't know any kids that watch TV.

Byebyebyebyebye · 26/09/2019 21:11

I don’t have set times or allowances, today mine watched no tv at all! My 4 yr old ds did watch my phone for 10 mins while waiting for 6yr dd to finish school (different finish times). Tomorrow night is movie night in our house so they’ll watch a full movie.

Lelly0503 · 26/09/2019 21:12

Quite a lot. I have two DC and am currently on mat leave, so whilst I try to fill the ‘middle’ part of the day and get out of the house, it’s on in the mornings from when he wakes up and then from 4-6. Though he doesn’t just sit there in front of it, Hel play, have his tea and bath time. The only time he tends to actually sit and watch is when he’s tired. Lately we’ve been watching a lot of Blippi stuff on YouTube and whilst he’s like mr tumble on acid some of his videos are quite educational so it does make me feel a bit better. When I go back to work it will be much less because he’ll be at nursery etc

soberfabulous · 26/09/2019 21:15

DD 6. She has half an hour of Netflix before bed. Our tv isn't connected to the outside world beyond that.

To be honest we are not a tv orientated family; I struggle to find anything that holds my attention. Tv on in the background sets my teeth on edge.

We've always been more about music as a family. Usually something soothing/relaxing on at a low level.

DameSylvieKrin · 26/09/2019 21:19

I have a 23 month old and an 11 month old, neither has ever seen the TV (it’s in a cupboard).
I cook while they nap or at night and otherwise get stuff done around them while they play.
I’m happy for them to watch plenty of TV when they are older, I just don’t see much point now.

Bluewavescrashing · 26/09/2019 21:20

My DS5 has excellent understanding of place value thanks to Numberblocks!

9 and 5 yo. 30 mins before school, about 1.5 hours after school but we always do something else too like playing in the garden, scooters, park on way home from school, lego, painting etc.

Bluewavescrashing · 26/09/2019 21:21

Personally I find TV annoying and love a quiet house. I never have it on in the background.

Onwardsagain · 26/09/2019 21:21

None during the week, DC is exhausted from nursery by the weekend so has a chilled Saturday morning with a couple of programmes and usually a film, a bit on Sunday morning while we whizz around the house and get ready for the week ahead

ASundayWellSpent · 26/09/2019 21:26

My DDs are 5 and 2. In the week they watch two episodes a day of Paw Patrol, Wishenpoof whatever, dependant on good behaviour and only when everything else is finished for the day. At the weekend I let them watch TV for an hour in the morning and one of the three evenings we'll watch a film together with popcorn. Its a problem disguising as a solution for us because it does keep them quiet occupied etc, but the upset of it going off, the moodiness from having been sat in their own world for too long means its less hassle to not watch it. They know the rules and it works better for us as a family

Dancingandthedreaming · 26/09/2019 21:27

None at all during the week (10, 8 and 4) : mornings are mad enough without TV, and after school they decompress with free play, plus music practice, homework, spellings, times tables... But then we counteract all this marvellous parenting by having f* it all friday when the screens are on, they binge on Netflix (currently Scooby Doo fiends) and I fling frozen pizza at them having started on the rose quite soon after we get home. Weekends hardly at all, unless a cosy family movie on a rainy afternoon.

Laura221 · 26/09/2019 21:30

Our tv is on all the time. In the morning it's on the news channel. But kids play on tablets for about 45 mins (depending on what time they wake up) then I'll pop the news on when we get home from school or sometimes I dont put the tv on of the news is particularly upsetting, but they arent allowed tablets or tv until after dinner so around 6pm so minus bathtime that would be another hour of tablet/tv , they can put whatever they like on tv after dinner. My kids are 5, 7 and 8. When I was home with them when they were little they didn't have tablets but I had kids stuff on most of the time but I dont know if I just have weird kids but they dont sit and watch it they colour or get lego ect out and play as well. I guess as well with them being close in age they just play together all the time which is much more interesting than tv. Any way dont worry about it. I have Saturdays o my own with all my kids and we could watch 2/3 films in a row. I haven't melted their brains yet Grin

Kenworthington · 26/09/2019 21:34

Well mine are teenagers now and genuinely watch none. At all. However when they were little they used to watch quite a bit. Never before school but after school for a couple hours at least. And preschool I can’t lie, quite a lot. It was the only way to calm them down and so I could get stuff done! It clearly hasn’t done them
Any harm.

Timeless19 · 26/09/2019 21:44

14 months and none, we only watch TV in the evening when she’s in bed. We have a TV in each living room and I don’t spend time with her in those rooms. I find it boring sat on the sofa whilst she plays and I would probably have put the TV on if we spent time there. We have a big open plan kitchen/dining/living space with no TV where she plays so TV just hasn’t happened.

I’m not adverse to it, but kids tv looks a bit crap and I personally don’t want to watch/listen to it myself. When she’s bigger and wants to watch it by herself she can crack on!

Appletreehouse · 26/09/2019 21:44

My Dd woke up at 5-5.30am for years and is usually awake by 6am even now she's five. So we often could have done 2 hours before breakfast as we lay dozing on the sofa because quite frankly I wasn't playing at that time.

Ds is 2 and he loves TV as he watched it from a baby with his big sis. Week day they probably watch 30 mins before school/nursery then 30 mins early evening, although less so over the summer when we played in the garden after nursery a lot.

Weekends 1-3 hours depending on what we're doing, I think 3 hours is too much though. I try to restrict to Cbeebie which is more educational and trying to make more effort to get the play dough, drawing out etc and they play together a bit now too which helps. We do loads of trips out/swimming/soft play/visiting friends and family/playing in the garden so overall I'm sure it counteracts everything.

Yellredder · 26/09/2019 21:46

Mine didn't watch any until she was three. We didn't have a TV, and she didn't go on the iPad. She watches about half an hour of YouTube videos in the morning, watches some TV at her grandparent; we have a couple of programmes we like to watch together and that's about it. She's eight now.

SimonJT · 26/09/2019 21:46

My son is four, he gets half an hour of TV a day apart from Fridays when we watch a film together.

weewinnie · 26/09/2019 21:49

My 1 and three year old watch some in the morning with milk and fruit while I shower/get a wash etc then turn it off and have breakfast together.
If I need to work while my youngest naps then my 3YO will have it in for 1-2 hours with drawing/toys/play doh etc and sometimes is engrossed but sometimes not fussed.
Then we often watch a film together in the eve while I cook dinner. Pause it to eat together & bath etc then finish before bed.
I guess if you add it up it's always on for a fair few hours in a day but we always have other activities available and always go out to do something every day. It feels good for us and we all get a balance of chill out time or work/housework done and it doesn't feel overbearing.

taytosandwich · 26/09/2019 22:41

Yeah my DS loves TV and YouTube. I try to get out and about as much as possible just to get us away from screens and I put nursery rhymes on Alexa while he plays and that keeps him entertained for a bit.

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