Will the TV be my child's new babysitter?

[sillybean]

Posting here for traffic...

DC2 is due next month, and I feel like as I won't be able to take DC1 to playgroups, when we are not in the park, garden etc. we will come home and he will just want cartoons on.

DC1 is 2, and before lockdown didn't watch any telly, since lockdown it has slowly increased (to about an hour day). We've since reigned it in again and allow a few eps of something on the weekend only.

I basically don't like what it makes him become - he won't do anything until you put a cartoon on (won't eat/put coat on/listen to you etc.). He sort of manipulates us with it - put cartoons on them I'll do what you want, which I don't like.

I don't want to sound precious, I grew up on unrestricted amounts of telly (and it hasn't done me any harm 🙄 lol), and I love my DC but he just becomes a bit of a brat about TV.

How do you control screen time for your toddler, when you have a baby?

If they only watching an hour a day I think that’s pretty good going in current times. You of course could just say no and don’t give in.

I had a baby a month ago and my TV standards have, quite frankly, plummeted! My LO is 2 and is watching far too much but it means I can get the baby fed and a bit of cleaning done. I’m telling myself it won’t be forever and she’s bright, articulate and mostly a pleasure to have around so it can’t be doing her that much harm. I’m slowly trying to rein it back in but I’ve found myself doing too much running around with the baby in a sling to keep her occupied and the post birth discomfort getting worse rather than better.
I’m trying to look on the bright side as she clearly learns from the TV. I really don’t like it though but it’s just so difficult getting up and down a lot at the minute.

Take it each day when the baby comes, some days it might be more but if you set up a line in the sand amount it will be you that feels guilty and stressed if you fail to stick to that time.

Yeah you have to be careful that they don't adopt their favourite cartoon character's attitudes. My 4 year old can't stop talking about a few like they're her friends. It's sad.

Thanks for the responses. I think we'll probably naturally up the amount of telly when the newborn is here but as with everything it's just a phase and hopefully we can reign it in again (and deal with his manipulative behaviour another time 😬).

My eldest didn’t watch tv until DC2 was born. Then it was on most of the time. End result is DC1 was obsessed with the tv for a long time and would scream when screen time ended whilst DC2 has always been able to take it and leave it because it was never anything special due to growing it with it on it the background most of the time. DC1 was also quite a late talker whilst DC2 could not only speak in short sentences by 12 months but also knew a whole load of sign words thanks to CBeebies.

@SunbathingDragon sorry just seen your response! That makes me feel so much better, thanks!

I think even pre lockdown this happens while the baby is so needy.