How much tv is "TOOOOO much" tv???

[pugsmum]

Hi all ye mumsnetters

I dont think i let ds 15.5 months watch a lot of tv more than some less than others ....

I do use it as a distraction through-out the day to get things done
Eg. when taking a bath or trying to get somthing done that i cant get done with him usually only bout 15 min intervals he probably watches half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon before dinner and tidy up time .
we do a lot with him , stay and plays, rhyme times 2-3 times a week , jungle gyms EG monkey bizz etc we go out for lunch , walks round the lakes and too the shops every day and do a lot of reading with him he will sit through a good 5-10 short storys a day ( somethimes just discussing the pics if im really sick of the story ) and are constantly talking ,counting ,singing with him ...

He is nearly 16 months , he is a good talker he knows over 25 words and can take instruction when i tell him to hold my hand, pick something up and he can say "whats that" , "whos that" and "where is cluck cluck" (thats his toy chicken lol ) he can ask for thing with words and pointing and has been walking since 10.5 months so is doing fairly well for his age ....

i hate silence in the house my self so if the tv is not on i have radio TV such as heart fm or classical fm most of the day and we do not watch soaps or adult tv in front of him only mayb something like friends or loose women if i am feeling poorly

But how much Tv is too much and what is the reason for this it has been drummed into my head since pregnancy not to over do it but no one has ever told me why and what harm it will actually do ????

25 words at 15 months?!!?!

I am countin animal noises..... i believe it still counts if he says them in conjunction with the correct animal lol

I think the issue is that while watching TV they aren't activity learning, it's all passive. I'm sure I read somewhere advice that under 2s shouldn't watch any TV and over 2s should watch less than 2 hours but I have no idea where I read this and indeed I may have imagined it.

My 18 month old probably watches 10 mins a couple of times a day when her brother watches something and she pauses for a rest between destruction sprees. I'm not personally worried about that. And IMO you don't have to do a million structured activities with them either, they just need lots of free play when they're tiny. DS is nearly 5 and does two sports classes a week and I still keep him home sometimes because he's too tired to pay attention. At the toddler stage they just need to experience the world (which they can't do if glued to the TV all day!).

actively learning

I'm sure my kids watch far too much telly.

When my dd was a baby, I told my friend I was worried about how to stop her watching so much as she got older. Her reply (she has 2dcs and is a headteacher) just make sure there are plenty of other things for them that are more exciting and readily available. If they choose to still watch telly, then maybe they need that time, so don't make it an issue, if you make a big deal about banning or limiting, it is making it more desirable.

This has mostly worked. DD (4yrs) watches telly before school, goes to preschool for the morning, comes home, has lunch, plays a bit/watches telly then we go to the horses for a couple of hours where she runs around, then home for telly and a snack while I start dinner. It is harder for ds (19m) tbh, as I am struggling to find activities that suit him atm, will be better with more decent weather.

pugsmum It sounds like you're doing just fine! We were lucky that dd wasn't bothered by the tv when that age, but had the radio on all the time. Now at 2.8 she tells me she doesn't like "boring radio 2" and has a huge obsession with the octonauts (hence the username)!

Hmmm... That doesn't sound reassuring anymore does it? Sorry!

Normally on 'how much TV' threads it seems that the majority think anything more than a passing glance is too much, and there will always be sanctimonious gits posters who ask why on earth does a child so young need to watch telly?

Like Dedalus, I think as long as there is plenty of other stuff going on in a child's life then it really doesn't matter how much telly they watch. And as you say, it helps you to get on and do things that need to be done.

I also think they do learn from watching programmes - I know Alphablocks has helped with teaching DS his letter sounds and he'll often come out with something he's learned from watching cbeebies. This week we watched the Lingo Show every day and had a go at a few Mandarin words

My DS didn't watch any tv at all. Then I had my DD. Now he watches hours of the damn thing. And I suppose DD does too

my sisters db watches tv when other siblings do i think all you need to do is switch it off and suggest to do something active if they dont listen dont go any further theres no point making it out as something it isnt and just keep on saying it until they respond

My DS wasn't bothered about telly until about 2.5yo, but DD watched about 30 mins a day from about 12m.

Now (at age 3 and 5.5) they watch about 45-60 mins on a school day (from about 4.45 -5pm whilst i do tea, and about 5.45 - 6.15/30 after tea).

On the weekend DD watches about 45 mins after lunch (DS still naps) and they both watch about an hour in the evening (often with DH and I).

I know some people who have the tv on ALL day. If I did that, DD would never do anything else!