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Original poster

How do you limit the time toddlers spend watching TV and videos?

11 replies

Chiba · 29/08/2001 13:03

My 3 year old boy was addicted to videos, to the point of not even wanting to play with us! Then, 6 months ago we decided to tell him the video was broken. It worked!

Now we would like to reintroduce a limited amount of TV, for no longer than an hour a day (winter is coming!). What can we do to create ground rules and to make him realise he has to stick to his side of the bargain?

Suggestions welcome!

OP posts:

Rhiannon · 29/08/2001 18:59

Chiba, we have a kitchen timer which works very well for all sorts of situations. ie when the alarm sounds it's time to brush your teeth/get in the car/turn off the TV! It's also good if children won't share a toy, so they can have 5 minutes each. I also find it handy for boiling eggs!

Willow2 · 29/08/2001 20:15

Don't wish to sound glib, but just turn the tv off. My sixteen month old son is convinced that all tv's show non-stop teletubbies and bear in the big blue house. Concerned that this is a damning indictment of my parenting skills, I have taken to just switching the box off. After a few screaming abdabs he now seems to get the picture (or not as the case may be). Realise that, aged 3, your son can probably not only turn the tv back on but fine-tune it and set the video, so this might not be as easy for you - but it's a start!

Suew · 29/08/2001 21:44

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

Mickey · 30/08/2001 09:11

I also use the 5 minutes more technique - but as my daughter is 3 I have worked on the principle that it doesn't have to be real time, so sometimes its a long five minutes and sometimes its short. As long as I count down from five she is generally happy and it gives her time to adjust and move onto the next thing.

However, I like the idea of the kicthen timer - I just need to work out how to use it myself first.

Emmagee · 30/08/2001 23:22

I'm with Willow2, children need and want boundaries to be set by their parents/carers. As long as you are consistent, they will get the message. There are days when all we want as adults is to lay, unblinking, infront of the the telly, and kids are like that too, let's not feel gulity about it. But for most of the time, we can and should make better use of their time.

Kmg · 31/08/2001 04:11

Chiba - Like many things it's easier if you start off being strict, than suddenly want to change your rules. If you want to start being more strict with the TV than before, it might help to make a fresh start in some way. Maybe reorganise your furniture in the lounge and make the TV less prominent. Maybe even put it out of his reach on one of those stand things ... Make a rule that he is not allowed to switch it on himself, and stick to it. But make sure you always encourage him and praise him when he is playing nicely with other things, rather than just watching, or wanting to watch TV. Let us know how you get on.

Janh · 31/08/2001 10:30

we used to use a variation on mickey's counting down technique for all sorts of things when our older 2 were quite small (unfortunately we let it lapse for some reason...i so wish we hadn't!)

anyway it was counting up to 3. it's a kind of final demand after the initial reminder - what would happen if the demand wasn't met was never specified! - and we would often throw in a few quarters and halves but we usually got the required result by 2 3/4...mind you that was with girls!

i think it's reasonable to be a bit more relaxed about limits in the winter when you have to be indoors more. and if nothing else works, get one of those childproof screens for the front of the video and keep the remote in a high cupboard while he's watching!

(tried to post this yesterday...i wonder why some people DIDN'T get locked out???)

Gaby · 02/09/2001 09:27

After a two week holiday without a tv, when my two daughters played well together and had some great imaginary games, we decided to try and limit tv. We now have tv days so it is not on every day. So far it seems to have worked and they seem to accept it - not sure how long it will last, but it stops me from feeling guilty that they are watching too much tv....

Alih · 04/09/2001 13:51

I managed to keep tv away from my dd until last Christmas, when I relented and bought her a Maisy video (I was feeling that she was deprived, when all her friends had videos) - she was 14 mths.

She is now 23mths, and a complete Maisy head - nothing else will do! Anyway, our TV goes on around 6ish for that graveyard hour after tea and before bath (Unless we are out in nice weather etc). I stick to this and she is happy that if she asks at other times of the day, she accepts that Maisy is still asleep. Sounds rigid I know, but it works! I agree that boundaries work, and if you stick to your guns, they usually accept it.

Grandmamma · 08/09/2001 04:14

yOU'RE THE BOSS
You confiscate the controller, and put it out of reach.
TURN THE TELE OFF

Original poster

Chiba · 10/09/2001 12:52

Thank you for all your suggestions. I have been trying to reply to you, but I was locked out of Mumsnet and I could not send messages.

We have reintroduced TV and videos, but we use an alarm clock to limit the time our son watches TV. He immediately understood the concept and he even likes "his alarm clock". Unfortunately he keeps on pestering us for more and more time. I think the next few days will be the worst and then he will resign to the fact that he can only have limited access.

P.S.
Yesterday, after looking for the clock for half an hour, I asked my son if he had seen it lately and ... he took me to the place where he had hidden it to prevent us from using it!

OP posts:

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