how much tv is ok for pre schoolers/toddlers??

[steph1512]

ok so know this has prob been done a million times,

but my panic/guilty mother head really seem to struggle with the tv.

my dds are 3yr8mth and nearly 2yrs

i am always worried it is on too much but at the same time still end up putting it on!

iv been trying to stick to the 2hr a day max guildline so formed a bit of a daily routine that works most days but does also slip on weak days!!

it goes like this,

bit of tv after breakfast while i get myself showered and ready..usually 30min max

then after lunch/preschool younger dd has an hr sleep n me and elder dd usually do half of that time tv and half something together ..drawing/baking etc.

that was it but recently i have sometime not been able to resist temptation and it goes on at 430 ish while i make their dinner find it hard work sometimes to do dinner with them around my feet!

my eldest didnt watch any tv untill second dd arrived then it started while i was b.feeding etc n gradually creeped up.

prob is sometimes like today where the weather is awful n i have a whole day in ahead of me after a night of 3hr sleep(im35wk preg n not sleeping well at all) to motivate so my times have gone out of the window today.

not including holidays a usual wk include 5ams a pre school for my eldest and other play dates activites etc such as ballet swimming so easier to fill the time.

i am concerned that i might struggle to entertain the dds in a few wks when baby arrives esp as it falls over the easter break so im really hoping i can stear away from putting it on too much.

wud be interested in knowing your thought n ideas n how much your children watch tv etc.

ps i only ever have cbeebies which i like to think at least doesnt have anything negative on

I have TV on all day in the background, my 2 year old will watch it for a few minutes here and there in between doing other things both by herself and with other people. I don't worry about it, I am not using it as a baby sitter just another form of amusement. I find her concentration span isn't long enough for it to make that much difference. I have 4 kids ranging from 2 to 18 and done this with them all, all of them can take or leave the TV and none of them have ever cried to get the TV put on

I try to only allow an hour/day for dd (3.9) but it's hard with ds (9 weeks and constantly bf). I do orry though that by restricting it we have set ourselves up for it to be a treat whereas if it was on more dd might not be so thrilled by it.

Typical viewing for us would be a programme after pre-school at lunchtime, something mid afternoon whilst I prep tea and then a programme after dd has tidied up her toys before bed. I sky plus so that I get more control over what she watches and for how long.

prior to ds (5 months) being born dd (3.6) watched about an hour a day, however that's increased considerably in the last few months!!

tbh after an hour she loses interest and occupies herself with something else. She also watches films on dvds, prob about 2 hours a day in all.

She's just become brilliant at amusing herself though and does loads of other stuff so I don't feel bad, park, baking,craft, digging/planting, friends round, etc.etc. and she has a fantastic imagination so I don't feel bad at all.

She does love her films though!

McB - I was asked at his regular checkup if he watched any tv as the paediatric association apparently recommends zero tv before age 2. She said everything from that it would hinder his language development to affecting his concentration skills. I felt SO bad over this little 15 mins, 4 days a week (the end of ITNG before bath).

MrsKitty - I was also told similar to you - that even radio in the background was "not ideal." Have several friends who were told the same thing about tv too. Thank goodness for MN and some reasonable perspectives.

cobis that is awful, and I'm sure a load of rubbish. 15 mins 4 days a week will hinder development? bollocks.

I can see a point with tv = bad when the parents are literally dumping child in front of tv all day every day and not interacting with them at all. But then that's neglectful - if they weren't putting them in front of the telly they';d find somethign else to keep them quiet.

We have the telly on all the time, but do other stuff too. Just because it's on doesn't mean anyone is watching it in much the same way as the previous generation always seem to have the radio on. Totally agree it's about balance and moderation.

We have music on all the time, either cds or the radio. Wasn't aware this could be damaging, would be damaging to me if i didn't have my music especially in the morning!

I think short bursts of tv throughout the day are fine, but still we feel guilty over that.

DS is almost 14 months and we have 15 mins after breakfast so I or DH can get dressed, 20 mins of handy manny before tea and about 20-30 mins of ITNG before bed. I must admit though that it always freaks me out how trance like they become when watching TV - I take that as my cue to switch off, so we never do longer than 30 mins at one time. I daresay once DS reaches the terrible two's, the timing might creep up in a bid to save my sanity.

I always giggle (kind of ) when I think back to my MiL coming in when DS was 6 weeks old and asking why I didn't have CBeebies on. "He needs stimulation you know". Stupid woman. Can't think why I rarely see her

cobis - it's awful that you were made to feel so bad about it! I really can't see how 15 mins, 4x pw, is that much of an issue!! If only you'd posted here then you could have saved yourself an awful lot of upset

I can't stand the TV being on all the time - I personally hate the constant background noise (TV (adults or childrens), Radio, Music etc - I like silence ) and I don't let them watch 'too much' TV - I prefer to see them playing, colouring, doing 'arty' stuff etc but it's more about what I like to see than any real problem I think! Also, I'm lucky in that they will amuse themselv and I am selective about what they watch (more for my sanity than theirs ), they also watch DVD's more than TV as such (LOL - it's not always kiddie DVD's either - they love Mama Mia (I was a bit unsure about that at first but it's been OK, lots of singing, dancing and a few interesting discussions!! LOL).

On the other hand I have friends whose TV's are on from dawn till dusk, from babies - now some of these are still small, some doing well at school and some doing well at Uni - doesn't seem to have done them any harm!!

Can't believe the HV/Paediatrician was so prescriptive with regard to such a small amount of TV watching! And as for radio, I have radio 4 on in the background for at least a few hours a day - tbh I need to hear some adult discussion or my brain turns to mush! (BTW have just bought DD 3.6 the leapfrog computer thing that you plug into the tv, so have probably reached a whole new level of bad parenting!!!!!).

DS is 3 yrs 7 months and DD 13 months. We have a no telly before lunch rule in our house....I find that if it goes on in the morning that it's harder to get DS off it.

2 days a week both mine are at nursery all day so on nursery days he might have an hour before bed. When at "home" - we usually get up around 7ish and potter around upstairs we have breakfast near 8 and then as I clear up/put washing on I dump the kids in the lounge and they find things to do or DS will sit at the table and do some drawing or something whilst I try to entertain DD with a piece of toast !) I'll then launch them all back upstairs put the stairgate on and leave them to it whilst I shower etc. We have pre-school two mornings a week so that's sorted. After pre-school DS then has about an hour or so after we've had lunch (he's not allowed it on til lunch is over) - and I find that this encourages him to come and chat to me in the kitchen . DD goes for a nap and I then finally get some time to myself. I sky plus stuff that I know he likes. It is usually off by 2.30 when I get DD up and we then do something even if we just sit in the lounge and I get everything out of the toy box.

Then no tv til after tea time.....We go upstairs about 6.30....I reckon he has 2 - 2.5hours a day.

DS is much better at entertaining himself when I'm here - when DH is here he thinks he's just a play thing !....and DH will sit and watch golf all day at the weekend if he has half a chance.

I can't bear it on all day either - just a personal preference and I find DS goes into a zombie like trance if he has it on too. i've also stopped worrying about the amount as on nursery days its a lot less and at the weekends too as we're out and about even more. We also do a lot of stuff and are out and about when the weather is nice so really it's all about balance isn't it ? They learn so much from the telly these days too if you're selective in what they watch.

Oh and with the radio it's on a lot here and DS has started singing along !! Kings of Leon is a top favourite

DS is 3.6. We also have a no telly in the morning rule, and then he watches no more than 30 mins a day while I cook dinner (usually 20 mins, actually).

He is on the whole a pretty well-behaved child, and his naughty behaviour is not a problem for me to manage. I find that when he watches more than an hour a day he becomes hyperactive. As soon as I cut down his viewing time the hyperactivity vanishes. There is a direct correlation in my experience, which is why I'm so strict about his TV viewing.

I tend to sit him in front of talking books when I want extra time to myself, which works brilliantly. I also plan to record myself telling some of his favourite stories, to extend our range!

There's also a CBeebies hour on BBC7, which you can play on the Iplayer, if you want to find non-TV related material to keep your children occupied.

cobis purely anecdotal here but DD loved TV from an early age, although I did limit it much more than I do now. ITNG was a massive hit and was part of our bedtime routine when she was around 18 months. She is the chattiest little girl you are ever likely to meet, talked really early and her pre-school teacher said that her language development is way above average for her age. It's all about balance and as long as you are interacting with them when they are not watching the TV I simply can't see the harm. Sorry the professionals made you feel so bad.

DD didn't watch any TV at all before 12 months. It crept in a little bit when she got to 13 months and i went back to work. Mainly because on the days I don't work she barely naps at all (average 40 mins a day) and I felt we both jsut needed some down time.

She talked young, but interestingly we all had swine flu in December and having no family local to us DH and I had to look after her for the duration of us being very ill. So on went the TV, morning til night, literally for a week.

What was totally bizarre is that the following week she started talking loads she had lots of words prior to that but after that period she just really started to chat all the time. At 18mo she can now talk in sentences.

I'm sure it's just coincidence and I know this is only anecdotal but I know I stressed a lot about TV harming development, but it hasn't seemed like such a big deal.

I have a 2.1yo who is with grandmas for two days, nursery one day, out at groups etc one day and then weekend when we do lots of things. That leaves Thursdays (or today this week) where we have a lazy staying in day. I do washing etc and dd potters about. On that day, CBeebies goes on for Show Me Show Me and doesn't really go off all day. DD watches the programmes she loves like SMSM but mostly plays with it on in the background.

I used to stress about it but no more. It's only one day a week. She plays etc while it's on and may stop for a moment to watch but then carries on. She's like me, she likes it on in the background for company! Her development is just dandy.