AIBU to let my 2-year-old watch TV?

[hibernatingmama]

Obviously I know a little bit of TV is ok... but how much TV is reasonable? Currently my almost 2yo is watching a total of 2-3 hours a day... it seems too much but we are stuck inside most of the day, don't see anyone else, and I'm pregnant. Finding this lockdown really tough.

In between this we are playing, doing art, going outside for walks etc etc. And obviously that 2-3 hours isn't all at once. It's little bits here and there so I can phone a friend, do some housework and other things to keep me sane.

AIBU?

My 2.5dc is currently watching 4-5hrs in the room with one of us as the bubble at nursery burst and we still have to work our core hours. We've gone for a c'est la vie approach because what else can we do?

No one actually finds toddlers unreasonable. It's a non-issue. What precisely are you concerned about? Unless said toddler is watching Game of Thrones rather than Hey Duggee...

That should be 'toddlers watching TV' unreasonable. Obviously toddlers themselves are highly unreasonable

This is reassuring, thanks. I've just had lots of things popping up on my Facebook about how under 2s should have no tv and then the set amounts for other age groups.

It's freaked me out a bit that I'm not doing what I should be as a mum, but maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself. It just seems like what else can we do right now?

And no, it's not Game of Thrones... unfortunately

Do what you have to do to get by. If that means 2 hours of tv while you get some jobs done or put your feet up with a book, no problem. In an ideal world our toddlers would spend all day on nature walks, baking, reading with us, singing songs, doing counting games...in reality, we don't live in an ideal world and it's fine to stick on cbeebies.

As you can’t do anything else why do you think you are wrong in allowing tv viewing? The quality of what CBeebies produces is educational and absolutely fine.

Obviously if you want a genius child you need to schedule activities around quantum physics, yoga and mindfulness, HIIT, Latin, literature, science and maths. But as your dc is 2 perhaps work in this with the next one as you are a bit late

Tv is fine. Honestly.

With things the way they are right now, people need to pack away their judgy pants and understand we're all doing our best and trying to balance a lot of stuff. A couple of hours TV spread out over the day won't make your toddler's head explode. Tbh nor would 8 solid hours 🤷‍♀️😁 but bits of TV time is now, always has been and always will be absolutely no big deal at all. Don't worry yourself about it and most importantly completely ignore the 'your child caught sight of a TV set through a crack in the door? Someone please call the pope and schedule an exorcism. stat' brigade. They've always been twats

Oh and as someone who was criticised for not over activating my toddlers - I can tell you that my dc are flying at school, polite and kind. I don’t care if they haven’t reached grade 20 billion in piano or that they aren’t in the line up for wimbledon.

I bet if you met some of these face book mums you wouldn’t like them. And they are probably lying anyway - we live in a society where putting other peoples choices down is rife.

Our toddler watches 2-3 hours a day

Didn't you hear? Due to the pandemic screen time guilt has been cancelled.
Heeeeeeeey DUGGEE!

@namesnamesnamesnames

Do what you have to do to get by. If that means 2 hours of tv while you get some jobs done or put your feet up with a book, no problem. In an ideal world our toddlers would spend all day on nature walks, baking, reading with us, singing songs, doing counting games...in reality, we don't live in an ideal world and it's fine to stick on cbeebies.

My older one has never been a 'walk and bake' child. If it flickers, he will stare at it. He worked out how to get the programmes he wanted on the tv or my phone by the time he was 2 (including memorising my password to get in ). He still hates going for walks, so whilst we obviously do expect some fresh air to be had for us all, I learned a while ago that some things you've just got to chill over. Also, how to hide the remote and get a phone with fingerprint access....

Not a problem imo. To some 2 hours seem a lot but is it really? When we are confined to our houses all day and is watching the tv that bad for a bit of peace.. I don’t think so.

Mine have always watched good amounts of tv. But we’ve done other things in the day too. It’s all about balance 🤣

DD is 4 and currently watching blippi. She has the TV or her tablet but she plays with her toys or we go out walks when we can. However I'm 23 weeks pregnant and still working nights so if she has tv on from when she wakes up till she goes to sleep I don't care right now.

Absolutely fine, and even more so in these pandemic times. My DC are older (7, 9 and 11) but all watched tv for a bit of the day, from a young age. Also, once you have more than one, then the younger one will naturally watch tv from an early age, wanting to do what their older sibling is doing. Think of the range of things you do with your little one for the 12 or so hours that they are awake - tv is just one of the activities that make up a varied day - or as varied as it can be in Covid times

This really is a non issue. I honestly believe that this whole screen time thing is just a made up competition between mums on who child watches the least tv and is interested in more “upper class” activities.

As long as you are interacting with your child and teaching them things throughout the day, tv can still be educational, my DD learnt quite a lot, picked up on words, the music helped her movement, of course it wasn’t the only thing we were doing together but it’s definitely not the devil thing it’s made out to be on here.

Not a problem at all. You’ll get some come along later and preach to you about their perfect child I bringing skills that involves 20 minutes of tv a day and that is Mastermind.

For the majority of us normal parents, TV is a life saver. I’be been up since 6. We’ve painted, done some drawing, played with tools, eaten a lot and now we are eating nursery rhymes whisky I have a break. If I try and sing the nursery rhymes he tells me no!

Just relax and do what is right for you and your family x

Wow! Awesome typos! We aren’t eating tv or drinking whiskey! (Not before 11am anyway!)
We are watching TV whilst I have a break!

I'm exactly the same , 22 month old and 30 weeks pregnant. We watch lots of TV , ds plays by himself with his toys at the same time.
If I notice he has gone a bit zombie like then I turn it off and we read books and play ect but I always have it on in the background. I always have done .

My 2 year old watches Frozen or Frozen 2 every day when I’m on zoom meeting. She sometimes have a bit of CBeebies too. Don’t bear yourself up right now! It’s difficult!

*has and beat - sorry!

Screen time is the devil on mumsnet but I don't see any issue with it.

Pretty much everyone in the western world watches too much tv.

My eldest DS was a youtube addict at 2 years old and it's done him no harm at all.

Hahaha honestly my sister is a no TV mother...gues what? Lockdown has broken her and its on an hour a day now!
My ds gets much more TV than that but I work and study and can't go anywhere new so not a lot of choice. We also do baking, crafts, big walks, bike n scooter rides and painting and stickers books, hide n seak etc. But none of those things last more than 20min each.
It's about balance, if they get 4 hours of TV and 4 hours of other than that's fine!

I’m currently in bed... DS is watching YouTube next to me. Baby slept badly last night and I have no energy for parenting. I’m sure he’ll live.

So glad I've come across this thread! I am also pregnant and have a 2 almost 3 year old and I'm struggling to keep her entertained! I'm even struggling to walk down the road with her atm because of my back and lifting her onto the swings, I can only sit with her on the floor and play for about 10 mins before my body aches and I can barely get back up! I've been feeling guilty for the amount of tv she watches but after reading these posts feel a lot better! MN isn't quite as judgemental as I thought it was