Lockdown, TV and kids!!!

[OverTheRainbow88]

How much TV is your almost 4 year old ( not starting school this year) watching during the day during lockdown? And how much is too much?!!!! Mine watches an hour in the morning and then about 1 hour 15 min in the eve! Is this too much? He watches things like Noddy, peppa pig, bing, paw patrol!

Shit loads. We've been working, so no option.

Even now she's back at school, we come home via the park for a run around (probably half an hour or so), then she watches TV until half 7. So what's that? 4 hours? Dreadful!! We then take her out again for an hour before bed.

Should say that it's not all TV - it's screen time, so games or stuff on a Kindle Fire, some Audible book listening while she colours, some telly.

Yes screen time here can be five hours on a day when there’s no nursery and I’m working (so two days a week for us). Other days probably a couple of hours.

Ok! Thanks for sharing. God it’s tough at the moment isn’t it! I’m not actually working as was due back from mat leave mid of March so my youngest did one settling in session where I was called to collect after 30min then lockdown. So I guess I feel guilty about the TV as I’m not trying to work. Although sometimes my son says something quite clever and I ask who taught you that and he says daddy Pig!!

A lot. She’s also playing on a spare phone a lot 🙈🙈

I taught mine how to play minecraft, because at least that's problem solving.

Mine are older (7 & 9) but we've got hours of screen time going on. Unless the weather is attrocious we go out every day, but there's a limit to how long you can fill every day with wholesome learning experiences and play when there is no social interaction or change of scenery for months and months. Age appropriate, controlled screentime is a very useful way to stay sane!

About an hour between 4 and 5pm while I do dinner. I try and put on something vaguely educational like numberblocks or go jetters. At the weekend she watches an hour or more in our bed in the morning, usually Thomas or Paw Patrol.

Not really any choice for me when I’m working. My kids are in front of the TV all day long some days at the moment.

My Granddaughter spoke with a Peppa Pig accent, which was quite nice. She watched a fair bit. Her and her Sibling are probably watching around four hours a day.

I think it's older children that you have to be more strict with tbh. You can turn things around with younger children, when this is over.

My dc are a bit older, 9 and 12. I make them watch countdown every day with a pen and paper! I consider that home schooling!

A lot unfortunately. It is one of the only ways we can feasibly work while doing childcare. It upsets me that this is what is happening.

Too much, there is little else to do especially when it pisses with rain all day and they can't even go in the garden.

I'm trying to teach older siblings, and do work for clients (self-employed). Probably 4 to 5 hours in a day.

More than I'd like. About an hour before school on a morning, maybe another 2 hours over the afternoon once she's home. Some is educational like bitesize, some is games on a tablet.

Same age as yours and can be double what yours is watching! Other days we do long walks though and they have less.

Too much really. The tv is on pretty much all day in our house, even if just for background noise. I'm starting some new AD's and feeling a bit rough, so I'm relying on screens to get me through with the kids at the mo (3 and 2).

I try not to worry too much about it, as we always have been a tv house and I've not been strict with it. But as they've got no nursery or toddler groups, no playgrounds to go to etc and while I'm feeling rough we don't go on adventurous walks because I don't feel up to it, I do feel guilty.

I have all these well meaning friends suggesting activities I can do with a 2 year old. They don't get that they have attention spans of 10 minutes at best and I can rarely be bothered to put in that kind of effort for the 10 minutes we'd get out of it.

Thank you all for your honesty. I think I may up the TV!!!😃

I guess at the moment we’ve just got to do what gets us through and keep us relatively sane!

@SnuggyBuggy I hear ya! 8 min of painting with my younger one results in him licking the paint, chucking the paint brush and pot at the wall/floor then 20 min tidy up 🤪!!

I also find it disappointing my youngest won’t watch tv for more than 3 min at the moment!!! Will have to train him to!!

it’s tough at the moment isn’t it

Yes, yes it is! And that's OK. As my friend put it in response to my 'everything alright?' question. "Intense parenting". And that was all she wrote. No need to say anything else! Small ones will move on quite easily, I'm convinced. It's teenagers who are an issue.