To think this was a nice day for toddler …?

[Owlatnighttime]

Wakes at 5.

Comes in bed for cuddle with parent a, won’t go back to sleep, Parent a puts tv on. Has breakfast around 8, goes out with parent a at 9. Toddler group, then a run and play on the park. Home for lunch, naps 12:20-2:20, watches some tv for maybe an hour, plays outside in the garden for an hour. Now playing with toys until tea at 515, will then watch another hour of CBeebies then bath and bed.

3 sessions of screen time is far too much

Who’s saying it’s not? I would say it’s too long before breakfast - neither of my boys had the attention span for 3 hours of TV 😂

It does sound like a lovely day for a toddler, but toddlers would choose lots of things that aren’t beneficial for them. That’s way too much TV time for a such a small child.

I strongly suspect those commenting about screen time haven't had a little one who gets up consistently at 5am.

Going against the majority I think it's totally fine. So long as screen time is balanced by plenty other active/outdoor stuff it's not the devil it's made out to be, some of it, especially CBeebies is really good. And you can tell those who haven't had a decade of sleep deprivation. I don't count pre-breakfast, in bed screen time as that's just you dozing to survive! .

@ibblebibbledibble I once went to a toddler group where they gave mini cheddars in a bowl to each child for a snack. Mine had some, we put our bowl down, played a little (still near the bowl) and then I went to pick it up and it was gone. Another mum said to me, 'oh I moved it back to the trolley as my son was looking at it and he isn't allowed crisps as a snack'

Poor kid!

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I have two actually! We try to stick to no more than half an hour, and not every day.

@NewMum0305 yes most are but some def not - I just wanted to know how they do it/did it as I can't!

It really helps some SEN kids. I'm sure not all but my DD finds it reassuring to have something familiar on in the background and doesn't sit glued to it square eyed. Since her diagnosis I've realised I'm entirely the same.

I have actually and mine do get screentime but the amount in the OP is a lot.

Especially given that the toddler naps so she gets that slot to get things done.

I am really no prude about screentime, when mine were waking at 5, they got an hour or so first thing but 3 hours is just too much especially if they then get another couple of hours later.

Too much television. Get rid of the screens.

Sounds a lot of television.

This would be too much screen time for me too. I try to keep my 2.5 year old to 1 hour per day max.

That said, my DD stays in bed until 7:30-8am and has a 2 hour nap so I do have an easier time of it than the OP, if she was up at 5am I suspect I’d be putting the TV on for at least the first chunk of that time too! I also completely fail and limiting screen time on days when either DD or I am ill.

So I’d say it’s too much screen time if it’s every day but if it’s every so often because you or she just can’t face any more activities etc. then that’s fine.

Going out twice in one day is great - I rarely manage more than once and it sounds like that time is active and stimulating so well done.

Eh, it’s all going to be a bit relative.

TV doesn’t interest my toddler, it doesn’t keep his attention for longer than a few minutes, so he doesn’t really watch any. It might be different if he did!

Oh absolutely, mine don't get TV during the week because they're at nursery/school. Plenty of screentime at weekends and during the holidays! If they were home everyday though I'd want to reduce it from three sessions, which is why I asked if Parent B could help in the evening. Parent A is having some very long days so if there's a Parent B I hope they're appreciative of that, and helping where they can.

Also, parenting toddlers is very very difficult - it's fine not to be perfect all the time. If all is well and the screen time is the price to pay for that then I think it's a price worth paying (especially given it's Cbeebies, which is wonderful).

@FiveHundredDucksWentOutOneDay but that sounds like yours just isn't interested and you'd be ok with some TV if he was?

That's very different to people who say no TV at all - I was just interested in how they get through a day without it.

Or indeed flip it, and if screen time is needed during the week, try and cut it right back at the weekend when there's two parents and take shifts so you each get a break (working on the assumption that Parent B works Mon-Fri).

Really, just here to find out if Parent B is an asshole.

Each to their own with the TV thing but I don’t see any issue with it. If a kids sits in front of the tv all day with no parent interaction, no outside play and no bonding time then yes TV time isn’t good. But holy moly if your toddler doesn’t have a nap then you need a timeout and a chance to either get some jobs done or just rest your mind and body !!! My daughter dropped her nap at 2 (and even then it had been a struggle for months beforehand) and the only way I could achieve any break was to let her watch some TV. She’s 5 now and it’s done her no harm, she plays, she draws, she’s super social and yes…she still watches TV!

Ignore the “too much tv” posters.
It’s the only way I can get dinner cooked and cleared away or do any sort of tidying and cleaning.
You’re getting him plenty of fresh air and interaction.

Sounds lots of nice activities. Restricting the nap should help with the early wake up if that's something you want to work on.

The screen time sounds fine to me. He's been to a toddler group, run around at the park, played with his toys. It's not like he's been sat in front of the TV all day.

Thanks so much everyone!

So tbh the reason I was asking was because of the TV. He is an early riser - usually more like 530, and I usually take him to bed with me but he never goes back to sleep! So I do put the TV on. On days when we have an exceptionally early wake up (like today) and I’m not at work so we don’t have to leave the house at 7 it does amount to a lot of screentime and I do stress about it. In fairness he only ‘watches’ the programmes he likes such as Raa Raa and teletubbies.

He does have milk when he wakes and then breakfast a bit later.

So today was on the high side with screentime, it’s just hard sometimes when I’m so tired from the early getups!

I don’t have kids so no skin in the game but what would others have people do during the TV time out of interest - surely toddlers can’t play/ run around all day? (Bar naps)

If that's a quiet day at home which is balanced by days at nursery/childcare on other days (which won't have TV) then I think it's absolutely fine. Downtime is important too.

Probably should read / do puzzles or something with him. It’s just that requires interaction - that sounds horrible, I just don’t have the energy first thing!