Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

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

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

How much tv does your toddler/preschooler watch-honestly!

147 replies

SuperAmoo · 02/10/2009 21:27

My DD1 watches so much tv and I'm always reading about how watching more than two hours of tv per day is bad. But the fact is after being out at preschool or a friend's or the park etc in the morning, she watches tv for the rest of the day because she's too tired to do anything else, even play on her own. Does anyone else have this problem?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

SofaQueen · 06/10/2009 06:51

For the person who was interested in Sesame Street:

-you can buy from amazon
-Also from www.sesameworkshop.org (also has great games and video clips here)
-postcast available from iTunes

NB: the US video system is different from the UK. Make sure that your video is on the UK system or you have a multisystem DVD.

Monkeytrews · 06/10/2009 08:10

Its a great incentive I find for getting DS to do tyhings. Practice writing your name and we can watch Teen Titans. Put your school uniform on and we can watch Horrid Henry/Ben 10 Alien Force, etc...

Monkeytrews · 06/10/2009 08:13

Kids cartoons are very well written I find today. The wit is wonderful. I love Chowder and the Marvelous Adventures of Flapjack (so does DS)And they learn to banter - and essential skill for boys"

marenmj · 06/10/2009 09:15

SofaQueen thank you. The dvds of the episodes "Old School" weren't available when I checked about a year ago.

I know the differences between the video systems. When we moved to the UK, DH brought a TV that could handle PAL and NTSC as luggage instead of clothes . The really annoying thing about it is that DH works in games development and so has to have the all game consoles, which also have regional differences, so we have two ps2's, two xbox's, just fried one of the wii's with 240 power, and DH is talking about ps3's (double ). We have a behemoth entertainment centre and he doesn't even use them that often!

Gone off on a tangent... thanks again!

WartoScreamo · 06/10/2009 09:24

My dd watches quite a bit probably, but I'm more interested in the quality than the quantity. She likes things like Numberjacks, Nina, and Kerwizz and I think these are quite educational and encourage them to think rather than just passively veg.

Also, in the last year I have been insisted that the majority of the daily TV is in French. Favourites like Noddy (oui-Oui), Peppa Pig and Hello Kitty. I think it's important for her to have more access to the spoken French language so that her vocab expands at the same rate as her peers. As we speak English at home, it's one little way of doing this on a daily basis.

TheInvisibleHand · 06/10/2009 10:13

marenmj - I got the Sesame Old School DVDs from Amazon relatively recently. Only thing I'd forgotten about them is quite how long the episodes are - about an hour, which by modern standards is a marathon, so DD only tends to watch about half an episode at a time.

marenmj · 06/10/2009 11:35

TheInvisibleHand DD is nine months and her attention span is about 40 minutes (which will probably become less as she gets older), but I can imagine watching part-episodes will be fine. She will only miss the "brought to you by..." part

FIL saw some of ITNG when I was letting her watch it (for her unholy love of Igglepiggle) and kept commenting that "Sesame Street was good enough for our kids". But Sesame Street now isn't the same as when his kids were young (really without Jim) and the standalone videos are downright uninspiring, hardly worth the TV time.

I finally managed to get my hands on some of the early Kermit films and DD loves them.

Good to know they are finally releasing some of the good episodes

Mamamoppel · 06/10/2009 13:22

None, honestly! I've put on a tape or dvd a few times when dd was poorly and resting on the sofa, but she fell asleep... We 'got rid' of our TV before she was born and ourselves only watch dvds or iplayer when she's in bed. I am actually quite pleased that at 27 mths she is pretty oblivious of brands etc and never demands anything in shops because she's seen it on TV. Is she missing out do you think???
Oh, and she happily plays by herself, too, so I am not her entertainer either and can get on with other things without her being bored.

NightShoe · 06/10/2009 13:29

My 3 year old watches one twenty minute programme in the morning and one in the afternoon if she asks to. I am flexible and I will sometimes let her watch more depending on what we have been doing or we have a movie afternoon on a weekend sometimes when she can choose a movie. For me I try to teach her to choose to watch and enjoy something in particular whether it is a programme or a film because this is how I watch TV and I hate TV as background noise.

Sheen4272 · 06/10/2009 15:15

I never had the tv on when dd was a baby. I put it on the other day (Cbeebies) but she doesn't take any notice of it. She certainly never asks to watch it but then she's only 17mths. I will try and limit it but as per some of the other threads it would seem it is a good way to get things done and to give them some chill time!

como · 06/10/2009 15:47

I haven't got anything against tv, I love it myself. But cbeebies is mostly rubbish and I won't put anything on that has ads in between. And all the books and toys that go with cbeebies make me shudder. My son is 2.5 and we have dvds postman pat, peppa pig and the jungle book are favourite at the moment. Fun stories and not gibberish like ITNG or the god awful waybulloo. They are put on after naptime for about an hour as he is foul mood afterwards and it's the only thing that will stop the angry tears. If I had another child then I'm sure he would watch more, but still I couldn't put cbeebies on as I like to watch too and don't want to be preached to about saving water or bored to tears. So what about TVs in bedrooms? What is the youngest you have heard of? My sister's work mate has a three year old with a TV in their room...

indiechick · 06/10/2009 16:26

About half an hour during the week, if that. DD2 only likes waybaloo for the yoga. At the weekend, honestly, about 3 hours, although depends on what we're doing

smileyboy · 06/10/2009 17:34

About an hour in the mornings while I get his milm and breakfast ready and wake up properly. Only playhouse disney channel though, don't allow anythin with crappy adverts. Play house disney usually has fairly educational stuff on.

Clare123 · 06/10/2009 20:04

I have a rule that it must be turned off my 9 am and can go on again after tea (normally 5.30- 6pm). But unfortunately that means about an hour in the morning and an hour just before bed of cbeebies.

Not that proud of myself but I find my toddler is sooooo active and can be very mischevious....so it does settle him down a bit. Not a great excuse though.

SebbysMum · 06/10/2009 20:40

I've almost stopped TV for my 21 month old. Partly I found a lot was not quite right for his age and I wasn't crazy about some of the programmes that were. I do let him watch a little bit of DVD shows. I justify this to myself by only showing programmes in my husband's language thinking it will give him one thing I can't. At the same time I've come to love DVDs because of the ability to watch something I can tolerate and to pause, start and stop appropriately. Agree with others who love Peppa Pig.

isittooearlyforgin · 07/10/2009 04:07

Just wondering how many of those who replied that their toddler watches very little television are mothers of one child at the mo? My dd (first born) watched very little telly but my ds watches more than she did.

Skimty · 07/10/2009 12:13

Honestly? No television at all in this house. I have a just 3 year old and a 1 year old. We did watch more when I was pregnant (DS dropped his naps at 18months) and a bit when DD was born but it seems to disturb his sleep so I just stopped it which was hard to begin with but is now lovely. I don't think he's watched television for a good six months and DD has grown up without it.

I'm not too sure it really matters. I certainly haven't noticed a difference in vcabularly etc. except that DS sleeps better. If you don't feel comfortable then don't watch so much, if you do then do. I think we have too many things that are considered 'good parenting' and television or lack of is one of them.

becklespeckle · 07/10/2009 12:59

DD (21 months) sometimes watches no TV and other days will watch a bit. I sky+ ITNG for her and also the totally awful IMHO Waybuloo which she loves, we will usually watch one together before she goes for her nap, it chills her out nicely Sometimes we'll watch another in the afternoon but not often.

My DS1 watched a lot more as a toddler but DS2 never had any interest, now they are older (9 and 6) they do like to veg in front of rubbish cartoons the TV but that only tends to happen at weekends and I usually turn it off after a couple of hours and kick them outside to run about

MissWooWoo · 07/10/2009 13:09

skimpty interesting what you say about tv disturbing sleep. My DD, 2.4, has never been a great sleeper but was gradually improving and then seemed to take a downturn. Wondering if this could be due to increase in amount of tv watching (only cbeebies and usually a run of different episodes of the same programme depending on what her current fav is - Show Me Show Me at the mo).

My initial feeling was that this wasn't the cause and that it was just one of those things considering her sleep history and also taking her age into account (poss start of night terrors, renewed sepeartion anxiety etc).

Anyone else have any tv watching/sleep disturbance experiences to share?

TwoManyFallsAndYouGetABadScore · 07/10/2009 13:10

"Not that proud of myself but I find my toddler is sooooo active and can be very mischevious....so it does settle him down a bit. Not a great excuse though."

Clare123, I do wonder why parents feel so guilty about a bit of TV. An hour in the morning and an hour after tea isn't, imo, a huge amount for a very active toddler, especially if (like my DD) they are up for around 13-14 hours a day.

Its really no big deal. I have found that by not being too anally restrictive about DD's TV watching habits that she will turn it off when she has had enough - usually after a couple of episdoes of a DVD or 1 or maybe 2 cbeebies shows.

RamblingRosa · 08/10/2009 08:43

Phew, I'm pleased a few other people have come on saying "none". I was starting to feel like a bit of a freak

broguemum · 08/10/2009 08:54

No TV in this house. Occasionally DD (6yo) will watch a DVD at the weekend but DS (22 months) tends to sabotage that as he thinks that a TV is just something else to hit / lick / smear snot on.....

Why no TV? I don't like it, I hate to see the gormless expressions on children's faces when they are watching it, I think many programmes are rubbish, I find TV winds up DD and leaves her over excited and over stimulated. DD is much easier to handle with no TV (she hardly asks for it now) and to be honest, I have no idea how I would manage if an hour of the day were to be taken up with TV.

Please note - DD watched lots of TV whilst I was pregnant and crippled by SPD. Wouldn't have been able to cope without it then.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6