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Original poster

Do you let your under two watch TV?

51 replies

roseability · 30/11/2010 23:24

Okay I will probably get slated for this but my 17 month old appears to love Peppa Pig

I would like to add that I have a 4 year old with whom I was quite strict about TV exsposure. He didn't watch any until he was about 2 and a half and even then only about half an hour a day. Even now he could take it or leave it and isn't that fussed about it.

For one reason or another my 17 month old has had more exsposure. Initially I only put it on when she was asleep so that my ds and I could have some rest time. However he now goes to nursery when she is asleep and I was finding dinner time incredibly stressful so I put it on for ds who is tired after pre school and so I can get dinner cooked. He likes Peppa so I tended to put this on and my dd seems to love it. I initially thought she wouldn't be that interested but it wouldn't harm to be on in the bakground to distract her a bit while I got tea on and tidied up.

She will literally sit and watch it until I turn it off, when sometimes a meltdown ensues. She isn't that interested in other TV but at 17 months I don't understand how she can concentrate so avidly on it. I feel guilty but it buys me peace and sees me through the last hour of the day.

She also loves her books and drawing and her speech/development is normal. I would say the TV is on for no more than an hour a day.

So will this damage her? Do other under twos watch TV so avidly? She will get excited and make pig noises when she sees the DVD go in! She seems to understand what is happening and I have watched it with them from time to time so that I know every bloomin episode myself. Or is she just transfixed by the images and if so is this frying her brain

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hels71 · 01/12/2010 09:43

My DD (3) adores Peppa! i think we know every episode off by heart! The thing I always wonder about is...just how many jobs does Miss Rabbit have? Or are there several Miss Rabbits about!
I think some TV is fine....We have a bit in the morning and some at teatime so i can cook in peace. We did end up with it on all day once when I was quite ill and here on my own with her..and after about an hour she got bored and just played while it chatted to itself in the background!

llareggub · 01/12/2010 12:21

We've just opened the Peppa Pig advent calendar. It's great!

SkyBluePearl · 01/12/2010 12:26

mine had no interest until she was 2 and 3 months. She watches about 40 mins most days but then nothing on other days. I'm happy with this.

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theDudesmummy · 01/12/2010 12:42

I feel guilty at times as we allow DS, 18 months, to watch a bit of "Baby TV" in the morning while we are getting up getting ready etc, and in the evening after his supper when we are cooking etc. He loves certain shows on there especially one called Little Ball which comes on just at his bedtime and which he now knows is the cue for getting ready for bed. We don't have any tv on at all in the house in the daytime. He sometimes gets exposed to his teenage sisters watching MTV type channels when they get home from school but that often involves dancing around the living room and I am sure does him no harm.

CharlieBoo · 01/12/2010 12:47

DD 18 months loves Balamory too Spookily! She is not into Peppa Pig yet....

I agree, chill out, we all bung the telly on when we're trying to get stuff done...

boomboombaby · 01/12/2010 15:11

My 14 week-old loves Fifteen to One...

winnybella · 01/12/2010 15:14

Baby TV is a big hit with DD. I was feeling guilty about letting her watch it, but then I realised that we do lots of stuff anyway, we go out every day etc plus her English came on a lot thanks to it (trilingual family).

So I think as long as you keep on playing with your dcs, taking them out etc, it's fine as long as it's not 6 hours a day.

putthekettleon · 01/12/2010 16:07

If I put Dora the Explorer on for my 2.7 year old, my 5 month old will literally gawp at the TV, you cannot distract her with anything! She's not so fussed on other programmes and will happily roll around on the floor playing if DD1 is watching Peppa Pig or something else, but Dora gets her undivided attention. I guess it might be the garish colours and stupidly irritating voices!?

I'm secretly worried her first words will be 'I'm the map, I'm the map...'

HelenLG · 01/12/2010 20:07

Daddy Pig needs a shave...

FanjoKazooie · 01/12/2010 20:33

Yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!!

Panzee · 01/12/2010 20:38

I have Cbeebies on a lot - I like it :o and I have always had either the TV, radio or music on as background, practically my whole life. I do play with my 16 month son at the same time, it's not often he'll just sit and stare at it, unless he's tired. I don't know if it's related but when I switch it off he just does something else. He's never asked for the TV to go on.

NinkyNonker · 01/12/2010 21:54

I was thinking this with 4 month old DD...she has some mammouth feeding sessions still so I tend to find a recorded program and settle. She has now started looking at the TV, ~I guess it is the flickering lights? Ditto the computer. I now feel like I shouldn't do it any more!

wannabeglam · 01/12/2010 22:00

Mine watches TV. I've trained her to

I think the best programmes on TV are for this age group. It's very enjoyable. Of course you're not going to want to have it on all day if your DC sits still and does nothing else, but you'll manage that.

DD's favourite is In The Nightgarden - she screaches and dances when she sees Upsy Daisy. Guess what Santa's bringing. She also loves Loose Women - all the laughing and clapping

herbgarden · 01/12/2010 22:06

My DD 23 months old (with older 4.5 year old brother at school) comes in and says "telly ! " if it's on (and in other people's houses) - If it's mid morning I ignore and get the toys out. If I need to get her lunch I let her have 10/15mins or so whilst lunch is being done. She will though have already had half an hour or so whilst I get ready in the morning (with DS) to save me from meltdown prior to the school run but she tends to potter round whilst it's on rather than being that interested but then will pretty much be glued to it post tea and before bath.....I simply don't worry about it any more whereas I had quite strict "rules" with DS She also asks to do "colouring" or "toys" despite her greater exposure to telly - something which DS was never motivated to do.....I make sure the toys are out and more often than not she'll get bored watching when DS is with her and potter off to do something else. One thing is for sure, her speech is brilliant and she can name most of the cbeebies characters (?!!) [tongue in cheek emoticon]

herbgarden · 01/12/2010 22:08

Ps kidding apart there are some very good programmes on for kids these days - very informative together with the lovely plodding In the Night Garden Stuff - calms us all down !

ALovelyBunchOfBaubles · 01/12/2010 22:21

Crikey,

my DD is 2.9 and refuses to watch any TV. Sometimes I wish she would just so she sits still for half an hour!!

moajab · 02/12/2010 23:24

My DS3 (aged 22 months) loves In the Night Garden and Thomas. He does a variety of other acrivities so I don't se the harm in a bit of TV. He knows all the names of the Night Garden characters but refuses to say Mummy! My elder two boys also watched a fair bit of tele when they were this age. Now aged 6 and 9 they don't watch very much at all. But when they were younger I noticed that they learnt a lot of new vocabulary and songs form the TV and also liked acting out Thomas stories with their own trains.

tholeon · 03/12/2010 15:02

My nearly 18 month old is a bit of a Night Garden Fan. And of course Baby TV. We are a bit snowed in at the moment so I have been wondering about how much it is ok to let him watch...

Quenelle · 03/12/2010 17:26

There's no particular programme my 18mo DS likes, he just loves CBeebies.

All the time it's 'Beebies, Beebies, Beebies'. But if I do put the TV on he only half pays attention to it for much of the time, once in a while I'll find him sat transfixed on the sofa, mostly when he's tired and wanting a bit of a rest I think. Or if Nina and the Neurons is on.

I'm not going to worry about it, he adores books and is very active so I don't think he's going to turn out a total square eyes.

Woodlands · 03/12/2010 17:43

I'm afraid I have discovered that when my 4 month old is having a meltdown, a cuddle on my lap and 10 minutes of CBeebies calms him right down. It was great the other day when he was really in pain with his teeth, I gave him a dose of Calpol and watched it with him until the Calpol had taken effect - I then had a happy, calm baby instead of a screaming miserable one. I had had all sorts of good intentions not to let him watch TV till the age of 2 but it's al gone out the window already!

Orissiah · 05/12/2010 09:12

My DD 2.5yrs used to do her tummy time in front of CBeebies - worked a treat! No, I never felt guilty about CBeebies for DD when she was under 2. It really improved her vocabulary and ability to play imaginary games. And after 30 mins of TV, she prefers to play. And she now loves "reading" her books so watching TV has never harmed her.

lindy100 · 05/12/2010 19:58

dd (1.4) watches TV - mostly, but not entirely, with DH

I worry about it a bit, but don't have it on too long, choose short programmes (like Peppa! Best one is the one with the French penpal) and limit it carefully if I'm in all day. Sometimes that means that I have to forcibly take us upstairs to play, as I can be a bit of a telly addict myself.

I don't think it's terrible, as part of lots of activities, tbh.

Panzee · 05/12/2010 20:25

My favourite Peppa Pig is when Mr Potato comes to town.

gemhandley · 05/12/2010 21:12

My 19 mo loves in the night garden and mickey mouse clubhouse. Hes not bothered by any other telly. He was born with a cleft so we were told his speech would be delayed, but since watching mmch he has started saying his words just odd ones but if its helping then im happy for him to watch it.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 10/12/2010 18:53

meh, my 23month old watches a studio ghibli film every day

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