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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

TV addict

14 replies

Snowbell · 07/09/2004 16:43

My DD aged 2y9m seems obsessed with watching videos/TV. I try to limit it to 2hrs a day as recommended. We do go out a lot and she is an active child (don't use buggy anymore for shopping). But when we come home as soon as she goes in the lounge she wants a video on, and I can't interest her in doing anything else. I think she may be bored with her toys (her birthday is end November so it's a long time since she's had anything more than new books or jigsaws). We can't really afford to splash out on major new toys right now. Does anyone else have a toddler TV addict in the house? Any advice?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Yorkiegirl · 07/09/2004 16:51

Message withdrawn

blossomhill · 07/09/2004 16:52

Or even visit the toy library.

TeriS · 07/09/2004 16:53

Know how you feel!

My DS (20 months) is obsessed with TV at present - and he only wants to watch Thomas the Tank Engine!

He has toys to play with, and when you try to distract him with other things, he's just not interested. I did manage to get him to do some colouring yesterday (printed off some Thomas pictures from the Web, and he was really into scribbling all over those).

Not sure what's worse - the TV addiction, or the lack of variety in what he wants to watch.

BTW, my DH is also obsessed with TV, so not sure if it's hereditary!

TeriS

Yorkiegirl · 07/09/2004 16:54

Message withdrawn

TeriS · 07/09/2004 16:56

yorkiegirl, we do that to. DS birthday is 4 days before christmas, so he gets all his stuff in one go - I save half of the money we would have spent, and buy him some toys in the summer. Also, if people give him money, we save that too.

BadHair · 07/09/2004 17:00

Snap, Snowbell. Ds2 turns the telly on without even realising he's doing it, and howls if he spots me turning it off. I usually try to get him doing something else, like tidying up his toys, then sneakily turn the TV off while he's not looking. I try to put a CD on first, so he doesn't notice the TV sound has gone, iyswim.

dot1 · 08/09/2004 11:33

lots of sympathy from here - ds will be 3 in December and the longest sentence he can speak is "see what's on CBEEBIES Mummy"..!

We're kind of introducing a 'watch 2 programmes and then it goes off' rule - unless the next thing is something he's really into. Also, if the programme is something we know he's not really into, like the Tweenies, I tell him I want to see the news and I put news 24 on or BBC 2 - something boring. He'll usually grumble but go and do something else, and then I can usually switch the TV off. Phew!

CountessDracula · 08/09/2004 11:36

Oh god my dd has just suddenly got into tv aged 2. She keeps wanting Kipper, Andy Pandy and Baby Einstein videos. I try and limit it to 15 mins in the morning and 15 mins in the evening.

I try and involve her in cooking, cleaning etc to distract her. Someone gave her a little washing machine for her bday and she can always be persuaded to do the washing in it at the moment!

Tartegnin · 08/09/2004 11:55

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. We tried limiting tv for DD (5), but also don't want to turn it into a "treat". We are out and about a lot, and if we're home and she's not engaged in other activities (she loves "helping" with cooking and folding laundry) we let her watch tv. The hard part, but the important part, from our perspective, is to be sure to watch WITH her, and be as interactive as possible - asking questions, or pointing things out, or acting out with the characters (Wiggles and Dora the Explorer are good for that - invting jumping, stretching, etc). That way, its quasi educational/developmental.

Original poster

Snowbell · 08/09/2004 14:20

thanks for your responses. I do try and watch with her but find it a bit difficult at the 7th showing that week of Bugs Life! At the moment she is obsessed with "The Railway Children". I don't mind her watching TV in the morning over breakfast, she is keen to go out and happy to have it switched off. The problem is when I need to cook tea I can't play with her and that is when she insists on watching TV and won't do anything else. That can take her over the 2 hrs a day. I suppose often it's just on for company and she is actually doing something else and not looking at the screen.

OP posts:

CountessDracula · 08/09/2004 14:21

Why not put music on when you are cooking dinner and dance around with her instead? Or get her involved in the cooking wiht you.

hatter · 09/09/2004 18:42

Hi Snowbell - if she's bored with her toys hide half of them - ie seriously put them somewhere totally out of sight (bottom of your wardrobe, garage, shed) then get them out in 2 or 3 weeks (and hide the other half). It honestly makes a difference.

Original poster

Snowbell · 09/09/2004 21:20

Hatter, that's a good idea, I'll try that. I'm also going to try and visit a toy library - I think there's one near us. I also need to buy a few craft items.

OP posts:

Kaz33 · 12/09/2004 22:26

Another 3 year old TV addict here, his first question is always Can I watch Cbeebies ? On a good day he watches about an hour, on a bad day he can watch 4 hours ( though often he will potter around infront of the TV doing other things ).

We do go out a lot, normally in the morning and afternoon - but I also have a 15month old and sometimes the only way to create calm is to stick the TV on.

I also don't think that he is very good at playing by himself - always wanting adult input, or indeed his 15 month old brothers input. Could this have something to do with his excessive TV watching ?? Though saying that until a couple of months ago he was looked after a nanny, who to my knowledge did not let him watch a lot of TV.

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