To worry DS doesn’t watch TV?

[soiswitched]

Yes stupid but … he’s four now and most of his friends seem to be getting into Disney, even movies like polar express and home alone and DS just never keeps still.

He used to like fireman Sam and geckos garage, and he used to watch the short Julia Donaldson films but it’s as if he’s losing the ability to sit and watch something.

Really? Have you had discussions with 4 year olds after watching films like Home Alone? Do they really follow the whole plot line and understand who all the characters are (I'm an adult and I've watched it many times, but I'm not sure I could successfully describe most of the characters beyond Kevin and the bad guys and Kevin's mum)? or are they just finding the slapstick type humour funny? I think a 4 year old who was genuinely following the plot might get upset that Kevin was all alone. Does this happen?

This is on a par with people who insist their 4 year olds have read the whole of Harry Potter - there is a difference between reading or viewing and understanding.

My dd is 15 now and has never been a TV watcher. She was just never interested, she had a brief thing for my little pony when she was small but other than that TV has never held her interest. She is perfectly normal in all other respects, doing well at school, has lots of friends, TV has just never been her thing.

@redskydarknight all I can tell you is that most other four year olds I know seem to watch TV / films. Their parents could be lying, yes, and I don’t think anyone wants or expects in depth conversations about Toy Story or whatever but … yes … I’m a bit worried about his concentration levels.

If the MN consensus is that four year olds don’t watch TV because they haven’t got the level of concentration concerned fine but that is at odds with the posts that say things like TV is OK, put the TV on for them.

I’ve got a 13yr old ASD/PDA profile, ADHD. I don’t think he’s watched a children’s programme ever from start to finish. They don’t hold his attention (unsurprisingly because most of them are rubbish). He’s a pacer, or a hangerupsidedowner, or a balance on an indoor surf board type of guy. He can watch a programme that way on the family tv.
Any new movies or series he likes to watch alone on his iPad first. We can then watch together on the tv but it’s a bit like going to the movies with Tigger.
Oddly,on the 3 occasions he has been to the cinema he didn’t more a muscle! 😂

You misunderstand me.
I do think (some) 4 year olds sit and watch films. I just doubt they have the sort of understanding of the subject matter that you seem to think they do.

From what you've described, he's clearly able to sit and concentrate in other situations, so I can't see anything to worry about. Not liking to watch moving pictures on a screen because you'd rather be doing something else is not a problem.

The rule of thumb for children's attention span is 2-3 minutes per year of age. That's just 8-12 minutes for a 4 year old. Will he concentrate on things (doesn't matter what - imaginary play, listening to a story, building with blocks ...) for that length of time?

He’ll read stories with me but honestly to the rest, no. He used to but seems to be getting increasingly manic and actually losing the ability to focus the older ht gets. Play is just emptying boxes of toys on the floor. He engaged strangely with a toddler toy belonging to his sister earlier. I noticed he struggled to do a very basic shape sort a two year old managed at a group a few weeks ago. So it is worrying me a bit.

@soiswitched you say you noticed he engaged strangely with a toddler toy. How so? What looks strange to you is just play to our ND crew (unless he was trying to insert it somewhere amongst his person in which case I’d explain about privacy and there being special toys for that use only 🤣).
Kids play is weird. That’s what makes it so wonderful. It’s dynamic, toys and household items acquire skills and purpose you never dreamed possible.
Embrace the madness. My eldest is 17 and has lost most of this 😢