Honestly, how much TV / tablets are your kids watching

[Keepgoing88]

I've posted about this before but it's still a sore point for me. I have 3 kids aged 6,4 and 1. Keeping them all entertained and not fighting is so hard. In order to cope I have let the eldest two watch far too much TV than I think is acceptable but it's so hard as the baby is constantly demanding. I do things with them but I still feel they are watching a good 3-4hours of tv a day :s they don't usually watch this much. Anyone else????

At least 2 hours, but not starting before 2pm on weekdays and no tablets at weekends (movie and tv then though)

All of it. They are watching all the TV. HTH.

Actual lol at anyone thinking 2-3 hours telly is loads

Yup... 2-3 hours would be a good day 😂

DS2 told me yesterday he was considering dropping his plans to be a doctor and might be a pro gamer instead, as he has moved so far up the leagues (divisions? rankings?) that he now qualifies for some sort of fortnite championship and could win loadsa moneym thanks to basically doing feck all else for weeks!

All. Day. Long.

I've started suggesting my teens are at risk of a DVT to blackmail them into exercise. To be fair the older ones have been out for a walk each day but my youngest has been terrible. I've been bribing him to mow the lawn as some form of physical activity.

Without sounding like a bragging bitch but... None! We don't have a telly and they aren't aloud on tablets.
I have my own parenting flaws though!!

6 hours over the weekend & none on weekdays except FaceTime (varies between the kids but between 1hour & 4)

They listen to endless audiobooks & podcasts though - might be an easy alternative for anyone who wants to reduce screentime? Mine build Lego or draw as they listen.

(That FaceTime is over the week not per day!)

DDs are 6 and 8.

They have an hour of TV in the morning, between 7am and 8am. Other than that, the TV isn't on.

During the day they can have 30 mins each on the Xbox or their iPads - but more often than not, they don't ask.

We watch a film as a family every few days.

Some learning on screens - Mathletics / TTRS / videos uploaded from teachers.

A lot.

But they always have done. I don’t have a problem with TV/ technology. My eldest is now 17, he’s doing just fine on it.

DC are 7 and 5.

1 hour of tablet time every day - CBeebies/CBBC

Grandpa reads a chapter of a story over FaceTime once a day (20 mins).

Gran does a French lesson over FaceTime once a day (10 mins).

It would be more if the weather wasn't so glorious.

Lots more than usual certainly for my 5 year old. About 30 mins after breakfast, about 30 on the switch at lunchtime (he’s on it now). Then about 90 minutes in the afternoon/ evening. Goes on at 5 ish until dinner then after dinner until bath. That’s about a weeks worth usually. Oh and at least a couple of times a week we’ll watch a film in the afternoon.

I keep changing my mind about whether I feel bad about it. DS enjoys it and it’s his only sitting still all day. And actually in the afternoon he quite often does something else while it’s on like Lego.

All of it. They are watching all the TV. HTH.

4 and 7 year old, they get up around six and watch tv till around nine when I get them to go and get changed. We probably average an hour tops of school work for the 7 year old on a good day. The rest of the time they play inside, play in the garden, we go for walks, do a bit of craft and baking though mainly over that now and then watch tv some more. When the weathers been good they've watched less.

I'd say in total they watch around 6 hours a day. And I'm not working at the moment. I'm not worried, they'll be ok.

Hours and hours. No garden in this weather and after 8 weeks of a 4 year old I’ve lost any crafting ability I had.

Ohhhhh millions of hours at this point. I don't mind TV but the shite they watch on YouTube definitely rots their brains.

I wouldnt like the count at this point. Do an hour to 1.5hr school work. Read at night and we try to go for daily cycle. Both parents still working so realistically rest time is on fortnite

TVs on for about half the day here. I’m probably singing the Octonauts song in my sleep

An hour a day on iPad for school work. DC age 6 has discovered the joys of audiobooks. We started with the free daily David Walliams' ones and then Harry Potter ( the first one is free to listen to) They are loving asking Alexa to play and stop as they want. Stopped asking for TV during the week which means we can still keep a 'weekend' feel where they can a movie or two each day at the weekend. Can't recommend audiobooks highly enough. There will be a fight and period of anger and sulking when/ if you ban or limit computer games.

CBeebies on for a couple of hours in the background in the morning, DD is 20 months so doesn’t watch all of it but it’s on. She’ll then usually watch a wee bit before dinner to allow me a chance to cook!

Loads
3 D.C. and literally only time they don’t fight is when they are all separated out onto their own screens / TVs

It’s divide and conquer here

We go out daily for walks plus they play in the garden too but I’m home alone while DP out doing 12 hour shifts so to be honest I don’t care how long they are on screens

It’s better for my mental health that they are not screaming and jumping around

Far too much 😩

No TV from 9-3, they can use the chromebook for educational apps etc though,and they can use the Kindle (book type one, not tablet). Although DS is currently Facetiming his friend on my phone as he's missing him.

I don't let them watch TV during the day at weekends either unless we're all watching something together so it at least keeps it "normal".

I'm WFH but there's plenty to do for them in the house so I think boredom is beneficial as it drives them to play Lego/dolls/Knex/colouring and all the stuff they usually neglect.

I had the surreal moment of saying to DS (aged 12) at the weekend "You had far too much screentime [Fortnite, Roblox, and YouTube] today. Tomorrow I am limiting you to just 8 hours"

All of it. From 8am to 10pm. Interspersed with homework